Democratic systems are undergoing significant structural changes as they respond to polarization and inequality, declining institutional trust and a destabilized media and information environment. At the same time, citizens are demanding more direct participation in politics, driving innovations such as digital civic engagement platforms and citizens’ assemblies.

Globally, political systems – both democratic and authoritarian – are evolving in response to governance challenges. Authoritarian regimes are refining legitimacy strategies that blend economic performance, surveillance and nationalist narratives. Meanwhile, democracies are experimenting with diverse governance models beyond the traditional Western liberal framework, such as the constitutional innovations seen in Chile and New Zealand that integrate Indigenous governance and European experiments with transnational democracy.

The resulting governance landscape is set to become increasingly heterogeneous, with the binary framing of democracy versus authoritarianism giving way to a spectrum of hybrid systems adapting to 21st-century challenges of technological change, ecological constraints and identity politics.