For democracy to flourish and deliver on its promises—including political participation, human rights, access to justice, a good education, an improved quality of life, a healthy environment, and personal security—citizens must become more engaged, empowered, and assertive, and institutions of governance must become more inclusive, transparent, and responsive.
Paradoxically, while there has been a dramatic increase over the past two decades in the number of countries with democratic systems of government and additional countries are on the democratic path, the frequent failure of new and established democracies alike to deliver on democracy's promises has undermined commitment to democratic practices around the world. In addition, as globalization progresses, the decisions of transnational institutions such as multilateral organizations, multinational corporations, international financial institutions, and global civil society groups take on increased significance. Yet these decisions are often made with inadequate inclusiveness, accountability, and transparency and may in fact preempt or distort legitimate national decision-making processes.
The United States faces a number of democratic deficits: a decline in many forms of traditional civic engagement, including youth civic engagement; reduced participation in the formal institutions of democracy, including but not limited to voting; and declining trust in all institutions, especially institutions of government. At the same time, American society is becoming increasingly polarized. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening and residential patterns reinforce separation along economic lines. In U.S. politics, there are fewer examples of bipartisanship and compromise. In the media, confrontation often passes for political dialogue, and the concentration in media ownership reduces the number of public voices and crowds out nuanced views and a middle ground. Theoretically, new technologies allow for many more channels of conversation through cable television and the internet. Yet, in practice, they also have the potential to spread misinformation and make it easier to find and listen only to the voices with which one agrees. Meanwhile, the negative impacts of these democratic deficits and social divisions are particularly acute among young people, especially low-income youth and youth of color.