Yascha Mounk is a writer, academic, and public speaker known for his work on the rise of populism and the crisis of liberal democracy. A contributing editor at the Atlantic, where he has a regular column, his journalism has also appeared in the New Yorker and Harper's, among other outlets. He is currently an Associate Professor of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University and a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. His most recent book, The People vs. Democracy, was published by Harvard University Press in 2018.
Can diverse democracies flourish? The Great Experiment is a bold and necessary counter-argument to nativists, populists and pessimists -- Helen Lewis, author of DIFFICULT WOMEN The Great Experiment confronts the intense challenges faced today by diverse societies in creating norms and institutions that allow their citizens to live peacefully with one another. It moves from insightful analysis of our current crisis to practical suggestions on how to mitigate conflicts over race and identity-a blueprint for a more optimistic future. -- Dr. Francis Fukuyama, Director of Stanford's Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy and author of THE END OF HISTORY and THE LAST MAN A convincing, humane, and hopeful guide to the present and future by one of our foremost democratic thinkers -- George Packer, author of THE UNWINDING and LAST BEST HOPE In The Great Experiment, Yascha Mounk shows us our history, our psychology, our self-inflicted wounds, and our best hope for creating stable democracies that benefit from diversity. This magnificent book increases our odds of success -- Jonathan Haidt, author of THE RIGHTEOUS MIND and professor at NYU-Stern School of Business In this brave and necessary book, Yascha Mounk honestly confronts the challenges to democracy posed by diverse, multiethnic societies, while at the same time refusing to give in to fashionable pessimism. He argues that we can and should find ways to build common ground, using good-faith patriotism to build consensus. Anyone interested in the future of liberal democracy, in the US or anywhere else, should read this book. -- Anne Applebaum, staff writer for The Atlantic and Senior Fellow, SNF Agora Institute, Johns Hopkins University