Can Democracy Solve the Climate Crisis?
Journal of Democracy
The Journal of Democracy: The smartest analysis on democracy and authoritarianism around the world.
Climate change poses a grave and urgent threat to the entire planet. The consequences — natural disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires, rising food insecurity, violent conflict, increased migration — are intensifying before our eyes. How can we confront these challenges? Are “eco-authoritarian” responses the best way forward, or is more democracy the answer?
In the new issue of the Journal of Democracy, leading scholars debate how to solve the climate crisis.
Democracy’s unique, flexible, and substantial resources make it better than authoritarianism at confronting climate change.
Nomi Claire Lazar and Jeremy Wallace
Climate change is an urgent and unparalleled threat. Our best hope lies in radical, principled activism — at once more democratic and more authoritarian.
Ross Mittiga
The democracy versus “eco-authoritarianism” dilemma is false. The answer is more and better democracy.
Elisabeth Ellis
Democracies — facing gridlock and polarization — often fall short. But it should be remembered that dictatorships do even more harm.
Thea Riofrancos
Regime type is important, but it is the power of the fossil-fuel industry in both autocracies and democracies that is blocking the green transition globally.
Emilie M. Hafner-Burton, Matto Mildenberger, Michael Ross, and Christina J. Schneider
The authors identify and respond to four broad themes in the Climate Crisis debate.
Nomi Claire Lazar and Jeremy Wallace