Democracy was the most successful political idea of the 20th century, as the high number of democratic governments around the world bears out. Today, though, it seems that it is experiencing a reversal of fortunes. Populist parties are on the rise in democratic states. At the same time, some countries are sliding towards autocracy. Elsewhere, politicians reframe election victories as a claim to absolute power. There is no denying that democracy is under pressure. Globalisation, populism and mediatisation, the growing influence of the media on politics, are testing its limits.
Launched by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the University of Zurich in 2005, the National Centre of Competence in Research on Democracy (NCCR Democracy) examined how and why this is happening and the consequences it has for democracy. The final report details the key findings of the 12-year research programme.