Abandoning Institutionalism

The populist revolt against liberal democratic institutions in the United States and elsewhere is not necessarily an irrational backlash, but reflects many voters’ calculations of self-interest. Resistant to an ideology of institutionalism based on rules and constraints, some seek individual freedoms whatever the societal costs. Others see institutions as discriminatory, due to the exclusion of minorities from their founding deliberations; whereas members of former majorities oppose the revision of such constitutional arrangements to make them more inclusive. Similar challenges face global institutions, as Washington revolts against the liberal order it once shaped.