In Pursuit of Development

Unveiling the Global Tapestry: Liberalism, Democracy, and the Path to Development – Francis Fukuyama

Episode Summary

Dan Banik and Francis Fukuyama discuss democratic backsliding, why liberalism is under threat, and the alternatives to liberalism.

Episode Notes

Grounded in fundamental principles of equality and the rule of law, liberalism is a system for governing diverse societies and emphasizes the rights of individuals to pursue their own forms of happiness free from government encroachment. But classical liberalism is in a state of crisis and is now being challenged from both the political right and the left. In his latest book – Liberalism and its discontents – Francis Fukuyama outlines some of the main reasons for the current state of crisis and offers a defense of a revitalized liberalism for the twenty-first century.

Francis Fukuyama is the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), and a faculty member of FSI's Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law. He is also Director of Stanford's Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy, and a professor of political science. Twitter: @FukuyamaFrancis

(Cover photo of Francis Fukuyama by Rod Searcey)

Key highlights:

• Introduction - 00:24
• The debate on democratic backsliding - 03:30
• Democracy and “good enough governance” - 08:25
• Distinguishing between liberalism and democracy - 16:05
• Moral and economic justifications for liberalism - 24:24
• Inequality as a cause of discontentment - 38:33
• Alternatives to liberalism - 43:43
• How AI will impact democracies - 57:17

Host:

Professor Dan Banik (Twitter: @danbanik  @GlobalDevPod)

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