Dr. T.Y. Wang, University Professor and chair of Politics and Government, presented “Polarization and Democratic Governance in the U.S.: Lessons for Poland and Taiwan” at the Polish-Taiwanese Conference in Warsaw, Poland, May 24-25, 2024.
Various scholarly studies have shown that the U.S. “fell victim to authoritarian tendencies” during the period of 2016-20. Interestingly, politicians who made baseless allegations about the 2020 presidential election and refused to commit to accepting the results of the 2024 elections continue to receive popular support. Why do citizens of the U.S. back candidates who undermine democratic principles? Citing various survey results and previous studies, Wang’s presentation shows that polarization in the American society provides structural opportunities to politicians who can exploit them for personal gains. When being presented a choice, citizens in polarized societies are frequently willing to sacrifice democratic principles for partisan interests. Important lessons can be learned for such young democracies as Poland and Taiwan.
The Polish-Taiwanese Conference was co-sponsored by the University of Warsaw in Warsaw, Poland, and the Institute of Political Science, Academia Sinica, Taiwan.
