Doubling Down on Democracy

250 years after the independence of the United States of America, it is fitting to assess the health of democracies. Notwithstanding external threats, democracies (and Western democracies especially) face an acute risk of civic apathy from within. Civic apathy is arguably one of the greatest domestic threats, for it undermines social relations and the democratic fabric of institutions, and allows for authoritarianism to take root. Meanwhile, authoritarianism creeps forcefully across the map, and European democracies in particular are being targeted through hybrid threats from authoritarian states.

For democracies to survive, we must find ways to incentivize civic participation: A first step is to teach citizens about democracy and inspire compassionate patriotism at a young age.

In “Democracy in America,” the French thinker Alexis de Tocqueville studied the nascent United States, and held a mirror up to European societies, offering a picture which, in many respects, still holds true today. Tocqueville notably wrote that in some European countries, apathy and lack of civic concern still prevailed while they gradually reckoned with democratization:

“There are European nations where the inhabitant sees himself as a kind of settler, indifferent to the fate of the place he inhabits. Major changes happen there without his cooperation, he is even unaware of what precisely has happened […] Worse still, the condition of his village, the policing of the roads, the fate of the churches and presbyteries scarcely bothers him; he thinks that everything is outside his concern and belongs to a powerful stranger called the government. He enjoys what he has as a tenant, without any feeling of ownership or possible improvement (Vol. I, Pt. 1, Ch. 5).”

The danger he underlined is that, regardless of the political system, individuals have a proclivity to give their power away and to let a greater entity do the work. Today, that continues to be relevant: In numerous democracies, voter participation declines, community engagement declines, and citizens expect government “services” in exchange for taxes. Many observe with indifference as authoritarianism advances. What holds these societies together?

 “Education,” for one, is often heralded as a catch-all solution, but what kind of education is needed to spur civic participation? Schools should teach children that democracy is a precarious, ephemeral system that requires constant care, and which offers more than simple “services” in return. If students volunteer and engage at a young age, they will instinctively participate once they become adults. Yet, children must also be taught that their democracy is somewhat unique, or special, and indeed that it is theirs; otherwise, why would it be worth preserving?

In this sense, patriotism should not be taught as exceptionalism, superiority, or resentment toward others, but rather as a duty of care, and custodianship. In “The Need for Roots,” the French philosopher Simone Weil envisioned a patriotism based on “compassion”, describing it as “this poignantly tender feeling for some beautiful, precious, fragile and perishable object…”. Simply put, children must be taught to care for their democracy and to love it, in an entirely positive manner.

Civic participation, education about democratic institutions, and compassionate patriotism will all be difficult notions to uphold as every aspect of contemporary life seems to conspire against them. The pervasiveness of technology eases our retreat inward and our individualism. It furthermore offers the perception that we can have every service done by others at the push of a button. In a tragic sense, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have shown European societies that they have to take ownership of their destinies and act in solidarity if they wish to survive threats, both from within and without. But must we wait for crisis to salvage democracy?

The American philosopher Mark Lilla argued that children “first need to feel attached to [their society]. And they need to feel attached to it, because, if they aren’t, they won’t feel compelled by the failures of the society they live in to act. They will in fact just roll up into themselves. First, you have to teach students all the reasons to appreciate democracy, the country you live in, its history, so that you can reach them later on.”

Inspiring civic participation and compassionate patriotism among adults will be a challenge, but teaching children is the best way to ensure democracies continues to exist 250 years from now. We should double down on democracy at a moment when it can collapse internally and is under fire from abroad.