The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia and the Museum of the American Revolution partnered for the first part of a new series, 'World Affairs and the Enduring American Revolution.'
Prior to the creation of the United States, fear of the corrupting effects of power drove the American Revolutionaries in their fight against the British Empire. The Constitutions and laws that the American Revolutionaries then created divided power to prevent the rise of tyranny or a dictatorship.
Today, according to the Human Rights Foundation's research, authoritarianism and tyranny might be the biggest challenges facing humanity today, with more than half of the world's population--nearly 4 billion people--currently living under the control of dictatorships, absolute monarchs, military juntas or competitive authoritarians. By comparison, approximately 830 million live in extreme poverty, 780 million lack clean drinking water, and 65 million are displaced because of war or conflict.
Many also see a rise of "illiberal" democracy within the Atlantic world of NATO and the EU. Some even believe democratic norms are being challenged in contemporary American politics.
Is the world experiencing a democratic recession? Is this part of a new "global order?" Is this long-lasting, as some predict? Or just a glitch on the radar?
