The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy

Mr. Fareed Zakaria talked about his book The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad, published by W.W. Norton and Company. He said that the concept of democracy as a one-man, one-vote construct is a distinctly American development, and that the true characteristics of democracy are epitomized by the impartial judge, rather than by the popular opinion of the masses. Mr. Zakaria contended that some of the features Americans take for granted as characteristic of democracies, such as universal adult suffrage, are recent innovations. He argued that those recent components threaten to overshadow the more important aspects of democracy, including the rule of law, separation of church and state, and the rights of free speech and assembly. Following his presentation, Mr. Zakaria answered questions from members of the audience. close