Global Democratic Crisis: Institutional Resilience, Participatory Innovations, and Social Contract Renewal in the Twenty-First Century

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51660/

Keywords:

Democratic crisis, nstitutional resilience, deliberative democracy, civic participation, political legitimacy, social contract, citizen assemblies

Abstract

Objective. To analyze the multidimensional aspects of contemporary democratic crisis, examine institutional resilience mechanisms, participatory innovations, emerging technological challenges, and social contract renewal strategies that strengthen democracies in the current global context.

Methodology. Systematic review of recent academic literature (2020-2025) and empirical analysis using recognized international data sources: V-Dem Database version 15, Electoral Integrity Project, OECD Trust Surveys, LATINNO Database, Freedom House Reports, and World Values Survey. Mixed-methods approach combining quantitative analysis of democratic trends across 179 countries, qualitative case studies of citizen assemblies, and assessment of participatory innovations. Temporal coverage includes primarily 2020-2025 with historical baselines from 1990 onward.

Results. The research documents systemic democratic crisis characterized by: sustained decline in political trust (sharp decline in 36 consolidated democracies), electoral integrity deterioration in 33 of 62 countries evaluated in 2024, growing affective polarization in 25% of nations, and gradual erosion of democratic norms through legal mechanisms. However, measurable resilience capacities are identified: more than 300 deliberative processes globally engage millions of citizens; institutionalized processes grew from 22 to 41 cases between 2020-2023; countries with stronger institutional resilience demonstrate better performance against deterioration; participatory innovations in Latin America document effectiveness even in polarized societies.

Conclusions. Democratic sustainability in the twenty-first century requires comprehensive systemic transformation articulating six dimensions: strengthening institutional resilience, implementing scalable participatory innovations, democratic governance of emerging technologies, building participatory environmental governance capacity, genuine inclusion of new generations, and redistributive policies. Democracies with stronger institutional resilience and committed to social contract renewal through participatory processes offer effective pathways to restore democratic legitimacy and adaptability amid twenty-first century complex challenges.

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References

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La Revista Internacional del Instituto de Pensamiento Liberal presenta este número especial dedicado a la Democracia, en un contexto marcado por profundas transformaciones políticas, sociales y culturales que interpelan los fundamentos del Estado constitucional de derecho y los principios de la democracia liberal. El volumen reúne un conjunto de artículos que analizan críticamente la crisis democrática contemporánea, el auge de los populismos, las tensiones entre soberanía popular y constitucionalismo, así como los procesos de erosión institucional que afectan a las democracias en América Latina y, de manera particular, en Colombia. Frente a estos desafíos, el número propone el garantismo constitucional como un horizonte normativo y político orientado a la protección de los derechos fundamentales, el fortalecimiento de los controles al poder y la revitalización de la legitimidad democrática. Desde enfoques interdisciplinarios, los trabajos abordan, entre otros ejes temáticos, las tensiones entre lo popular y lo constitucional, las lecciones democráticas derivadas de las reformas agrarias andinas, la exclusión epistémica del pensamiento de las mujeres en el ámbito universitario, la ampliación del demos hacia sujetos históricamente marginados —como el campesinado, los migrantes y la naturaleza—, y el papel de la gobernanza territorial como mecanismo de contención frente a derivas autoritarias. Este número especial busca contribuir al debate académico contemporáneo sobre la democracia, ofreciendo marcos analíticos y reflexiones críticas que dialogan con los desafíos actuales de la gobernabilidad, la justicia social y la defensa del orden constitucional. Asimismo, pretende servir como insumo para investigadores, decisores públicos y actores sociales comprometidos con la construcción y sostenibilidad de democracias más inclusivas, pluralistas y garantistas.

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Published

2025-12-31

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 4 (2025): 2: Revista Internacional del Instituto de Pensamiento Liberal

Section

Artículos producto de investigación

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Copyright (c) 2026 Alberto Rojas Rios (Autor/a)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Global Democratic Crisis: Institutional Resilience, Participatory Innovations, and Social Contract Renewal in the Twenty-First Century. (2025). Revista Internacional Del Instituto De Pensamiento Liberal, 2(4), 51-69. https://doi.org/10.51660/

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