U.S. democracy is being ‘tested,’ expert warns. Here’s how it can be repaired

With the U.S. midterm elections expected to grow the influence of the far-right, anti-democratic movement, one expert says pro-democracy forces need to get tougher.

As the far-right movement continue to expand its influence over American politics and appears poised to win several races in Tuesday’s midterm elections, one expert says pro-democracy forces need to try and beat them at their own game.

Anand Giridharadas, a former foreign correspondent and columnist and author of The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds and Democracy, argues the march towards fascism and authoritarianism can be countered using the same methods that have been successfully employed by the right wing: addressing people’s real concerns and emotions. But he adds there must also be a shifting of the conversation away from fear and anger.

“The notion that people’s minds can’t be changed simply isn’t true,” he told Global News Tuesday as voters were still casting ballots across the country. “Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”

Republicans appear set to gain control of at least one chamber in Congress and deliver a rebuke to Democrats and President Joe Biden, who have spent the past two years with a united government.

A majority of Republican candidates have either questioned or outright denied Biden’s election victory in 2020, echoing false claims of fraud and distrust in the system from former president Donald Trump. Some candidates have openly vowed to make it harder for Democrats to win in the future by changing state voting laws.

Despite warnings from Democrats of the threat to democracy, polls have shown rising inflation and crime are top of mind for voters, amid relentless Republican messaging that argues Biden and leftist policies are to blame.

Giridharadas says those arguments have been successful because they prey on emotions like fear and anxiety while also giving people a sense that they’re part of a movement to “take back” America and restore order to a chaotic world.

Biden and his party have tried to point to actual policy achievements, like the Inflation Reduction Act and landmark infrastructure funding, that have sought to improve people’s lives and communities while addressing the rising cost of living, as well as progressive issues like climate change.