Democracy Takes Work, Principles and Institutions, Expert Says
In a time of extreme divisiveness and political turbulence, a renewed focus on the basics has emerged in America. What does it mean to live in a democracy? Can our norms and institutions endure disorder? What are our principles as a nation?
Timothy Snyder, Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna, writes and thinks a lot about democracy and what it means to uphold it.
Snyder joins Stephen Henderson on Detroit Today for a conversation about ideas presented in his two books “On Tyranny” and “The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, The United States.”
Snyder thinks of democracy not only as a system of governance but also as a code of ethics that citizens must exhibit and maintain.
“Democracy is exceptional and difficult, and you have to work for it,” he says. In “On Tyranny,” the author presents readers with lessons on how to be effective citizens of democracy.
In order to defend large political institutions in this country, Snyder argues, we must be rigorous in upholding personal principles like professional ethics, and human relationships. Acting out these democratic principles in our personal lives creates a stable bedrock for substantial democratic principles to stand on.
Why is defending institutions imperative to democracy?
“Institutions matter because they make us better people,” Snyder says. People are imperfect, the author argues, and when we inevitably slip up, institutions are there to catch us. Laws and rules hold us accountable and keeps society as a whole honest. When institutions cease to have meaning, that’s when Snyder says it is time to worry, and is indicative of a turn toward authoritarianism.
