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Yascha Mounk is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also a professor of the practice of international affairs at Johns Hopkins University, a contributing editor at the Atlantic, and the founder of Persuasion. Known for his work on the rise of populism and the crisis of liberal democracy, Mounk published in 2022 The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure, an optimistic case for the future of ethnically and religiously diverse democracies.
Mounk also authored three previous books: Stranger in My Own Country: A Jewish Family in Modern Germany, a memoir about Germany’s fraught attempts to deal with its past; The Age of Responsibility: Luck, Choice and the Welfare State, which argues that a growing obsession with the concept of individual responsibility has transformed western welfare states; and The People vs Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is In Danger and How to Save It, which explains the causes of the populist rise and investigates how to renew liberal democracy.
Mounk frequently writes for newspapers and magazines including the Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. He is also a regular columnist or contributor for major international publications including Die Zeit, El Pais, Letras Libres, l’Express, Folha de Sao Paolo, Kultura Liberalna, and La Repubblica, and hosts The Good Fight podcast.
Born in Germany to Polish parents, Mounk received his BA in history from Trinity College, University of Cambridge, and his PhD in government from Harvard University.
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A democracy has never succeeded in being both diverse and equal. Yet, treating members of many different ethnic or religious groups fairly is central to the democratic project in countries around the world. It is, Yascha Mounk argues, the greatest experiment of our time. In The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure, Mounk examines how diverse societies have long suffered from the ills of domination, fragmentation, or structured anarchy and shows that the past can offer crucial insights for how to do better in the future. The CFR Fellows’ Book Launch series highlights new books by CFR fellows. This meeting is part of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy.
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Panelists discuss historical context and perspective for the current state of democracy in the United States. This meeting is part of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy. With its Renewing America initiative, CFR is evaluating nine critical domestic issues that shape the ability of the United States to navigate a demanding, competitive, and dangerous world.
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Panelists discuss democratic backsliding, the rights of marginalized populations living under authoritarian regimes, and the prospects for and obstacles against democratic movements around the world. The CFR Young Professionals Briefing Series provides an opportunity for those early in their careers to engage with CFR. The briefings feature remarks by experts on critical global issues and lessons learned in their careers. These events are intended for individuals who have completed their undergraduate studies and have not yet reached the age of thirty to be eligible for CFR term membership. Please note only U.S. citizens are eligible for CFR membership.
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CFR’s inaugural Home and Abroad series public forum on the state of democracy globally discusses the role democracy should occupy in U.S. foreign policy, and actions policymakers, business leaders, civil society, and citizens should consider taking and supporting to promote democratic norms, values, and institutions here and around the world. This meeting is part of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy.
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Panelists discuss the future of democracy in the United States, including the actions that led to the siege of the Capitol and the threats facing U.S. democracy in its wake, how the Biden administration should address democratic backsliding, and the potential consequences for U.S. and global democracy. This meeting is part of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy
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Daniel Kurtz-Phelan discusses the May/June 2018 issue of Foreign Affairs magazine with contributors Yuen Yuen Ang and Yascha Mounk.