Understandings of Democracy av Jie (Ye Chenghai Chair Professor of Political Science Ye Chenghai Chair Professor of Political Science Renmin Universit

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The rise of authoritarian populism and declining popular confidence in democratic institutions has, of late, prompted many declarations that democracy is in crisis. Nevertheless, democracy still enjoys its supremacy in contemporary political discourse, with limited meaningful alternatives. Few of today''s authoritarian leaders publicly denounce democracy; instead, they are more inclined to present their regimes as democracies. Furthermore, public opinion surveys show that ordinary citizens still widely and deeply appreciate democracy, even in societies with limited practice of democracy. Democracy is still the "only game" in contemporary political discourse. Given the popularity of democracy, the hotly debated and discussed crisis of democracy is puzzling. If most people love democracy and politicians have to live with democracy (whether they like it or not), how can democracy be in trouble? More specifically, if people love democracy, shouldn''t they despise authoritarian leaders and