Mounk

Life

• Life
  • Born 1982
  • Born to Jewish mother who had to leave town due to anti-semitism
  • Notion of not belonging follows him
  • Part of Germany’s Social Democratic Party
  • Bachelors in History from Cambridge
  • PHD from Harvard in Government
  • Became a U.S Citizen in 2017
  • Becomes professor at John Hopkins University
  • Online newsletter since 2020 called Persuasion
• Works
  • The Age of Responsibility (His PhD work)
  • Stranger in my own country
  • Relations to Germany and Jewish heritage
  • Not fitting in
  • The People Vs. Democracy
  • The Great Experiment
  • Podcast “The Good Fight with Yascua Mounk”

Philosophy

The People vs Democracy (2018)

• The crisis of liberal democracy
  • Brings a lot of research into the work
  • Liberal: institutions effectively protext teh rule of la and guarantee individual rights
  • Democracy: A set of binding elector institutions that effectively bind public will and legislation
  • Illiberal Democracy:
  • People decide,
  • Politics is simple: anyone saying different is laying, anti-status quo is the enemy
  • I am your voice
  • Poland
  • Undemocratic
  • Central banks
  • Bureaucrats as lawmakers: People do not recognize themselves in their leaders
  • Judicial review
  • Money: elitist circles rule of the country
  • International treaties and organizations: have strong say
  • EU
  • Warning signs:
  • Criticism of democracy, authoritarian alternatives, undermining key democratic norms
• Origins
  • Weakened traditional gatekeepers like the media: anyone can be an influencer
  • Stagnation in living standards: Slow growth in living standards, live expectancy declining
  • Ethnic homogeneity: There is one ethnic group, most European states are built on this idea
• Remedies
  • Renew civic faith through investment in education, necessities, housing, medical care
  • Educate children on why liberal democracy is the best and dangers of other forms
  • Self-worth through profession rather than ethnicity
  • Fixing the Economy:
  • Domesticating nationalism

The Great Experiment

• When Democracies go wrong
  • Public Park provides visitors options, open to everyone, a vibrant place for encounters
  • People have opportunity, they have rights to do something other than what others in your family or tribe do
  • Open to everyone, but we may discuss what the environment is like
  • (Not his) The undemocratic liberalism threatens democracy
  • Technocrats, banks, courts international treaties
  • Devises term “Quasi-autonomous Non-Government Organizations” (Quango)
  • These NGOs do not have mandate of the people
  • Illiberal Democracies
  • Those that come to power through democracy but then undermine it
  • Populists are popular because of:
  • Economic stagnation:
  • standard of living not improving, fears next gen will be worse off
  • Multiculturalism:
  • rise in authoritarianism
  • Immigration has two wrong responses,

1. Immigration is a threat or they are inferior
2. Left wing- Think in identities and west must be dismantled because they are racist and unjust
* Both approaches are pessimistic, the only solution is for optimism and hope
* Newcomers are successful, show mobility but also there is solidarity towards migrants
* There should be more focus on the similarities and common values

• Social media: Traditional gatekeepers have less influence, anyone has a say
• Nationalism: future of inclusive nationalism based on cultural and legal patriotism
• Everyone must be free against political and social tyranny
• “Common Society” in which people of different identity can form national pride, because if they do not develop they do not have a future
  • What diverse democracies should become
  • How they can succeed

Mounk and Nussbaum

• Common
  • Liberals
  • Harvard graduates
  • Jewish relations
  • American citizens
  • Media philosophers
• Ideas
  • Golden middle way
  • Deal with contemporary difficult issues
  • Solution through patriotism
  • Different solutions to these issues