Resilient democracies rest on several pillars, such as strong institutions, an active, critical and supportive citizenry, and the capacity for collective action. In contrast to the traditional concept of a ‘defensive democracy’ – which tends to focus on democracy’s self-preservation and, if necessary, the defence against its enemies using methods that are no longer uncontroversially democratic – democratic resilience relies on the self-efficacy, self-correction and ongoing development of popular rule.
Key characteristics of resilient democracies are:
The projects in the ‘Resilient Democracy’ established research area examine threats and risks to democratic systems, such as disinformation, extremist ideologies, emotional polarisation and anti-Semitism. They contribute to the analysis of crisis symptoms, undesirable developments and the need for reform in democracies both within and outside Europe, and reflect on the geopolitical pressure arising from the global trend towards autocratisation.
Various cross-faculty and interdisciplinary collaborative projects are exploring the risks and potential of digital information and communication technologies, artificial intelligence and/or conspiracy theories. The researchers involved also aim to promote a deeper understanding of the fact that, in addition to digital media literacy, democratic resilience requires, above all, the following capabilities: the ability to tolerate contradictions (double binds) and to cope with uncertainty and ambiguity (tolerance of ambiguity).
