After Tuesday’s electoral victories across the country. from local elections here in Oberlin to state-wide elections in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and more, there seems to be a poignant sense of hope in the air. In spite of all the hardships and blatantly undemocratic efforts promulgating at the federal level, I advocate for being optimistic about our bulwark democratic institutions, the leaders fighting every day to defend democracy, and the melting pot of ideas constantly being stirred across the globe. It is important for us to remain realistic about our present political situation, but being realistic does not automatically mean you have to be pessimistic about where democracy is headed. To be clear, I am not advocating for blissful ignorance, as this can be incredibly destructive and accelerate democratic backsliding, but continued pessimism can yield similar destructive outcomes. Rather, we must understand the threats we presently face and ground ourselves in our history of democratic perseverance through the most turbulent times this world has faced.
It’s been one year since the polls closed in the 2024 U.S. presidential election and Donald Trump was declared the winner in the early hours of Nov. 6. It’s been one year since many people started to feel like democracy tipped irrevocably into a downward spiral, part of a rising tide of right-wing populism gripping other parts of the globe while others fend it off to the best of their ability. It’s been one year since I felt that cascade of shock and confusion and grief that so many across the world felt too as the U.S. suddenly joined this wave in force. It’s been one year of feeling deeper concern about our democratic institutions every passing day.
And now, over a month into the longest government shutdown in history, resulting from partisan gridlock over extending healthcare funding, and over nine months into the administration’s incessant attacks on democratic institutions, trade policies, and millions of innocent people, I don’t blame anyone who finds it hard to be optimistic about the trajectory of American democracy. In fact, on Oct. 31, The New York Times editorial board published a piece showcasing America’s slippage towards autocracy in all categories scholars deem as telltale signs of authoritarianism. An Oct. 23 Wall Street Journal column also echoes some of these concerns, giving rise to the idea that critics across the aisle are becoming increasingly concerned about this administration’s choices.
Through it all, however, I have steadily learned to remain optimistic about democracy’s future at large, and I believe others can and should adopt democratic optimism. A significant reinforcement of this perspective was fostered by the Athens Democracy Forum, an annual conference hosted jointly by the Democracy & Culture Foundation and The New York Times. I had the privilege of attending this year’s forum, held at the very beginning of October in Athens, Greece, to both represent Oberlin and work with peers from across the globe to learn more closely about differing experiences with democracies and its discontents.
Importantly, I heard firsthand from leading scholars and practitioners in democracy. Professors and scholars at leading universities such as the University of Oxford and the University of Pennsylvania presented qualitative and quantitative research into varying facets of democratic concerns, ranging from youth participation, attacks on academia, populism, pluralism, and beyond. Politicians and practitioners — such as the former president of Slovenia, vice president of European Parliament, and former deputy prime minister of Canada spoke candidly about their professional viewpoint on democratic institutions. Civil society leaders from think tanks and nonprofits — such as the Pew Research Center, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation — shared their widespread research and advocacy efforts aimed at informing the public on issues concerning democracy.
“Democracies have shown that they can learn from failures and reinvent themselves,” Professor Hélène Landemore, a political science professor at Yale, said at the opening night debate. I find this to be a compelling manner to approach trusting our institutions, something that is also felt to be in short supply. This is all to say that, during my time in Greece, I gained a wealth of valuable information directly from the people trying to best understand and remedy our current global situation. My main takeaway was that, while it is important to be realistic about political trends, it is equally important to be optimistic.
The mere fact that these leaders gave their time to speak about their life’s work proves there is a positive force moving behind the scenes and in countries everywhere to combat authoritarianism. While we may be experiencing rapid shortcomings here in America, other countries are rebounding and, from my own knowledge of the U.S. political system, we can absolutely rebound, too. It may be a long, enduring effort, but in order to even begin doing so, first we must find some sense of optimism in our present situation.
Throughout history, no anti-authoritarian movements’ success came from feeling hopeless about changing the ruling order. Though many of us constantly live in fear, especially our international and immigrant friends and family, if we are to reverse course in America and undo the injustices of the Trump administration, we must maintain hope that it can be done. While this is no small feat and is the seemingly eternal debate of all opposition groups, it is a step in the correct direction.
So, one year out from electing a populist demagogue intent on reshaping the American experiment in his image, I understand the times in which we live in and ground myself in our resilient history. This is my love letter to American democracy, as imperfect and flawed as it may be. I hope you, too, can subscribe to moving forward with a positive outlook on our democratic prospects, even when navigating the politically unsteady and dubious times we find ourselves in.
