{
  "id": 3420916,
  "title": "Retooling to help democracy revive",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/retooling-to-help-democracy-revive",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-26T04:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MIT News Research",
    "slug": "mit-news-research",
    "url": "https://news.mit.edu/2026/retooling-to-help-democracy-revive-daron-acemoglu-book-0826"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the 20th century, the United States emerged as the world's leading manufacturing hub, with a thriving middle class and a commitment to democracy. This era saw the defeat of fascism during World War II and the containment of communism during the Cold War. MIT economist Daron Acemoglu argues that there is an intrinsic link between democracy and economic growth. As economies industrialized in Britain, the U.S., and other nations, democratic participation increased as people sought to assert their rights. However, since the 1980s, the U.S. has experienced a significant rise in income inequality, with the offshoring of production jobs adversely affecting middle-class workers. In his new book, \"What Happened to Liberal Democracy? Remaking a Politics of Shared Prosperity,\" Acemoglu explores the benefits of democracy, the challenges it faces, and its trajectory in recent decades. He advocates for the revival of \"working-class liberalism,\" which emphasizes shared prosperity, jobs, and public services. Acemoglu believes that democracy is essential for promoting rights and liberties, and that it allows for flexibility and experimentation to address the complexities of the modern world. He argues that democracy is the only viable form of governance that can foster progress. Acemoglu's research, conducted alongside economist Simon Johnson and political scientist James Robinson, reveals that economic growth is bolstered by stable democratic institutions, including property rights. This insight earned him a 2024 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. His 2012 book \"Why Nations Fail\" and the 2019 follow-up \"The Narrow Corridor\" underscore the importance of democratic governments in safeguarding both liberty and freedom from both authoritarian rule and the dominance of other societal groups. However, Acemoglu cautions that self-governance is an ongoing process, not a static system. In the book, he critiques the notion of a \"social contract\" as a mere theoretical construct, emphasizing that real-world governance in a pluralistic society is inherently messy. He acknowledges the critical role of democracy in supporting the material welfare of citizens but notes that the postwar economic era has given way to new challenges, including the displacement of middle-class jobs by technology. Acemoglu argues that a pragmatic, flexible approach to self-governance is necessary, but warns against attempting to impose rigid solutions to complex problems.",
  "summary": "Deindustrialization didn’t only hurt some workers, Daron Acemoglu says in a new book; it shrank the coalition supporting democracy, which needs expanding.",
  "key_points": [
    "Democracy and economic growth are intrinsically linked, as argued by MIT economist Daron Acemoglu.",
    "Post-1980s U.S. has seen significant rise in income inequality and offshoring of production jobs."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Reviving democracy requires revamping economic policies to promote shared prosperity, jobs, and public services, shifting away from prioritizing income growth for the few to foster a more stable and progressive society.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}