%0 Journal Article
%T Reflections: Can American Democracy Still Be Saved?
%A Nancy Bermeo
%J The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
%@ 1552-3349
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0002716218818083
%X This article reflects on whether the erosion of democracy in the contemporary United States can be halted. Using the cases and conclusions from McCoy and Somer¡¯s eleven country collective project, it argues that democracy¡¯s decline is not inevitable. A case for cautious optimism emerges from analyzing the coalitions around democracy¡¯s disassemblers and democracy¡¯s defenders. The actors disassembling democracy have activated cleavages and adopted a style of rule that exacerbates fault-lines on the Right. The actors defending democracy have thus far done what¡¯s needed to eventually build the sort of winning coalition that has proven successful elsewhere. Creating broad, cross-class networks, mobilizing peaceful protest, and drawing on mass values that are still supportive of democracy bolster the likelihood of successful defense
%K democracy
%K polarization
%K opposition
%K Trump
%K Republican Party
%K business lobbying
%K Democratic Party
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0002716218818083