Many proposed responses have an institutional character, such as participatory budgeting, adopting proportional representation, or using more (or fewer) referenda to solicit popular input. Are institutional fixes really the answer, or are the most likely ‘solution(s)’ to the elite/mass disconnect in democracy political in nature? How can we construct an appropriate response to rising global populism?

A panel discussion with:

• Professor Archon Fung, Ford Foundation Professor of Democracy and Citizenship, Harvard Kennedy School
• Professor Arlie Hochschild, Professor Emerita, University of California, Berkeley
• Professor Pepper Culpepper, Professor of Politics and Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government (Chair)

This discussion is part of the Challenges of Government Conference 2017 at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.

Politics across the world is in tumult. A new populism has emerged from both left and right. Globalisation is under attack. Across every continent, electorates have lost patience with the establishment elites who have traditionally run countries and international institutions. The ‘left behind’ are stepping forward. This year, the Blavatnik School of Government’s annual Challenges of Government Conference focuses on this revolution: the  breakdown in trust, the reasons behind it, and what an effective response might look like. Those taking part include global leaders and practitioners who are striving daily to address the crisis, as well as leading academics who will set out their latest cutting-edge ideas.