political podcast

In 2024, democracy has come under unprecedented scrutiny, with public trust and satisfaction in democratic institutions falling to historic lows. Just three years ago, surveys showed that 60% of British adults were confident in the resilience of their democracy but as of this year's General Election, that figure has dropped sharply to just 39%, according to the Pew Research Center. This stark decline reflects widespread concern over the stability of our democratic systems, compounded by increasingly sophisticated disinformation tactics and external influences.

Many Americans are aware of how dangerous this moment might be for democracy itself, if recent polls are anything to go by. 

A survey conducted by YouGov in the run up to this election found that 84 percent of those asked said the US was more divided now than 10 years ago.

Now, a quarter of them told the pollster they feared civil war could break out and 12 percent said they knew someone who might take up arms if they thought Donald Trump was cheated out of a victory.

The American civil rights activist Maya Angelou once said that every voice is equally powerful. 

In today’s echo-chambers online this may not always appear to be true. 

But she also reckoned the vote was the great equaliser and that still remains the case, as long as having the right exercise one's suffrage can be done so in a free and uninfluenced manner.

Events in Georgia-the state-where Donald Trump asked an official in 2020 to find him enough votes to win, have set the scene for what looks likely to have been a rigged election in Georgia- the country- this year. 

All of this goes to show that what happens in the most powerful democracy matters all over the world.