Introduction

Despite persistent claims since the late 1980s, the “End of History” has not arrived. Nor has democracy emerged as the world’s political norm. Instead, we are becoming aware that democracy and the values associated with it — freedom, equality, and prosperity — continue to be challenged. Worse, not only have old threats to democracy not been successfully resolved, new ones seem to emerge as we enter a more interdependent and globalized reality. Insecurity caused by the ecological crisis, terrorism and counter-terrorism, and increased economic volatility resulting from deregulated financial markets, are posing new challenges to the well-being of humanity. If anything, we are increasingly conscious that we need more understanding of the potentially devastating roadblocks to democracy.