Harbinger Opinions

The Harbinger is an opinion journal run by students at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs. Our Editorial team publishes articles written by Korbel Students which explore current events in international affairs, domestic policy, and other relevant spheres.

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The New Age of Democratic Anxiety

Argument by Lamin Sanneh

The slow erosion of democracy from within poses a greater threat to the global democratic order than military coups. We have entered a distinct era defined by the gradual, legalistic erosion of democratic institutions, a phenomenon scholars call democratic backsliding. To reverse this erosion, democracies must rebuild their institutional muscle through an empowered civil society, a depolarized political culture, and a revitalized social contract.

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