Beyond the anger and anxiety: Insights into the attitudes and actions that threaten our democracies – and what to do about it

In his new paper, John Austin delves into the global rise of nationalist and anti-democratic sentiments, particularly in economically declining industrial heartland communities in Europe and the United States. Based on the learnings from the Industrial Heartlands and Democracy Study Tour in November 2023, the paper outlines the reasons behind people’s dissatisfaction and anger. Factors such as economic decline, geographic inequality, social alienation, and political disillusionment emphasize the urgent need for leaders to understand the underlying emotions and experiences driving these anti-democratic sentiments.

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To determine how one can transform this anger into hope and democratic momentum, the paper effectively develops strategies to combat anti-democratic sentiment, accentuating empathetic leadership, community empowerment, and narrative reframing as crucial pillars. The paper concludes by demonstrating that it is both possible and necessary for policymakers to survive democratic crises by listening, understanding, connecting and creating inspiring narratives to facilitate a just and inclusive future.

Author

John Austin

John Austin directs the Michigan Economic Center, a center for ideas and network-building to advance Michigan’s economic transformation. He also serves as a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Brookings Institution and is a Research Fellow with the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, where he leads these organizations’ efforts to support economic transformation in the American Midwest and in the industrial heartlands of Western democracies.
New paths to prosperity in industrial heartlands: Report from the industrial heartlands and democracy study tour
How can we, economically and socially, revitalize former industrial heartland regions while promoting a green transition? This question sat at the heart of our Industrial Heartlands and Democracy Study Tour held in November 2023, which brought together officials and economic change-makers from the US Midwest for a transatlantic exchange with their European peers.

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