Category: Democracy

With abortion  rights and parental rights prominent in recent Virginia news, the spillover of chaos in Congress may not be as big a deal in the state’s legislative races as the prospects of a federal government shutdown might have been.  But the shocking ouster of Representative Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House did highlight the dangers of populist extremism from the right within the Republican Party. Complicating matters a bit is the $2 million donation to Governor Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia PAC from an American billionaire associated as a major investor with the Chinese TikTok. Continue reading “Chaos and TikTok and Virginia Politics”

We are on the brink of a federal government shutdown attributable to the extremist faction of Republicans in the House of Representatives. This is a bizarre characteristic of American democracy, but it is especially detrimental to a state like Virginia, with its second largest contingent of federal employees in the country (huge California being the only one with more). If there is no new annual budget for the federal government starting on 1 October 2023, almost all federal employees are required to stay away from their work duties and forfeit their income. Continue reading “Progress Report on Virginia’s State Legislative Elections”

The anti-democratic turn in politics around the world was startlingly highlighted by the events of January 6, 2021 at the US Capitol. The shock of it operated as a trigger for me (as it was for much of the world!) to pay closer attention to what is happening to democracies more generally, and not just in the US.  It inspired me to start writing this series on “Democracy in Jeopardy”, with the idea that I could at least focus on democratic challenges in the three countries where I have lived – USA, of course, but also France, where I have been living on and off for the past couple of decades, and India, where I spent much of my childhood.  One can hope that first-hand knowledge stimulates action. I have written extensively about my impressions of how democracy operates in France, and a bit about my memories of democracy in India. And although I have been following and have even been actively involved in American politics from afar, I am only now getting around to writing down my thoughts about the state of democracy in the US.  I start with my observations about politics in the state of Virginia – excuse me, the “Commonwealth” of Virginia! Continue reading “Democracy in Jeopardy: The Case Study of Elections in Virginia”

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, a lot was  written about the deteriorating state of Indian democracy as yet another example of how apparently well-entrenched democracies are threatened by anti-democratic political movements.   I, too,  have been concerned about the threat to democracy from populist-inspired nationalism and its variations in the US, France and India, three countries with which I have personal connections.  I currently live in France, was born and lived in the States, but also lived for many of my formative years in India. Here I am inspired to share my reflections about my passion for India and how my impressions of this great country have evolved through the various occasions of my presence in that country. We all wring our hands in dismay over the sliding away from democratic values that we observe in India these days, and I hope that we’ll get past this somehow. Continue reading “Reflections on the Evolution of Democracy in India”

The penetration and disruption of extremist politicians into governing bodies is a worldwide phenomenon. The 15 ballots that it took for Kevin McCarthy to prevail over a cluster of extremists to be elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives is only the beginning of a disruptive two years for US governance.  Similar concerns are on display in numerous other countries, but here it is interesting to see how the functioning of the French National Assembly compares with what has happened (and is happening) in the US. Continue reading “Comparing the Extremists in the US House with a Similar Situation in the French National Assembly”

Democracy in jeopardy has become the “mantra of the moment”, what with the ups and downs of populist nationalist movements in so many of what we have considered to be the bulwarks of democracy – with France being a prime example of this.  Hence, this series on “democracy in jeopardy” has included a continuing study of political elections in France. A convenient flow of French elections (at the municipal level in March and June 2020, at the regional and departmental level in June 2021, at the Presidential level in April 2022 and finally at the parliamentary elections in June 2022) provides a timely, ongoing opportunity to assess these ups and downs.  I have been writing about these French elections from the perspective of an American living in France, with a deep interest in how even the strongest of democracies, like France or the US or India, are in jeopardy of succumbing to the forces of authoritarian populism.  My interest extends, furthermore, to looking at the similarities and differences between French and American political cultures and systems of governance.  Here, Round 4 of the series addresses the outcome of the French parliamentary elections that were held on 10 and 17 June 2022.

Continue reading “Democracy in Jeopardy: French Case Study Round 4 on the Outcome of the 2022 Legislative Elections”

French elections have been held at the municipal level in 2020 (what I have been calling Round One), regional level in 2021 (Round Two), and now at the presidential (Round Three) and legislative (Round Four) levels in 2022.  I have been writing about them in the context of an American living in France, with a deep interest in how even the strongest of democracies are in jeopardy of succumbing to the forces of authoritarian populism.  My interest extends, furthermore, to looking at the similarities and differences between French and American democratic cultures and systems of governance.  In my latest essay on France, written just as the presidential election was “officially” underway, my focus was on three leading concerns affecting how democratic governance may be in jeopardy, even in a country like France. These concerns were (1) the apparent absence of real debate among the candidates, (2) the anticipated low voter turnout, and (3) the potential of this election (held in April 2022) on broader coalition-building for effective governance in the longer term. In this essay, the presidential election has occurred, with the re-election of Emmanuel Macron for a second five-year term, and I take another look at each of these concerns and assess how they affected the final outcome of the presidential election. This will conclude with an appreciation for the imminent beginning of the “fourth round” – that is, the forthcoming legislative elections that are slated to occur within two months of the presidential results. Continue reading “Democracy in Jeopardy: Round Three of the French Case Study: the Presidential Elections 2022”

The European response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine has upended the political scene across Europe – and around the world. While the Americans and President Joe Biden may take the credit for leading the global response to a deranged Vladimir Putin, the French President Emmanuel Macron has taken on a truly pivotal role in the search for a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the conflict. As a result, the French presidential election has been dramatically shaken by the crisis. In this continuing series of commentaries on “Democracy in Jeopardy”, this election in France has taken on a far more significant role. Continue reading “Democracy in Jeopardy: The French Presidential Election in Progress”