Global, national and societal initiatives directed at reversing democracy's current tribulations

Resumen

Concerns about the global erosion of liberal democracy have intensified across empirical research, academic literature and public discourse. Over recent decades, numerous countries have experienced democratic backsliding, transitioning from liberal democracy towards flawed democracy, electoral autocracy or closed autocracy. This paper advances three practical principles aimed at slowing or reversing this trajectory. First, it argues for rejecting or reforming presidential and quasi-presidential systems, drawing on comparative evidence suggesting stronger governance and societal outcomes under parliamentary arrangements. Second, it emphasises preserving the institutional balance between executive, legislature and judiciary, highlighting the risks posed by executive creep, judicial capture and politicisation of the public service. Third, it examines voter survey findings from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States to identify systemic reforms capable of narrowing the widening trust divide between electorates and elected representatives. The analysis indicates that declining trust in institutions, perceived governance failures and weakened accountability mechanisms contribute to the growing appeal of populist movements. The paper concludes that strengthening democratic resilience requires structural reforms to governance frameworks, protection of institutional independence and sustained attention to the operational deficiencies most frequently identified by citizens.