Democracy Will Get a Reckoning in Asia This Year

A record number of people are heading to the polls around the world this year, including in Asia. This is particularly significant for the region because with the exception of Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, Asia-Pacific is seeing a significant increase in populism and authoritarianism, harking back to an era when strongmen presidents ruled with an iron fist. Hundreds of millions of votes won’t necessarily mean more democracy.

There are a few reasons for this. We have already seen the rise of less democratic leaders in the Netherlands and Italy, and there is a corresponding trend in Asia. China’s alternative model of governance, which prioritizes economic development over civil liberties, is increasingly appealing. Many voters have become disenchanted with Western democracies in a post-Brexit, post-Trump world, and are actively looking for something else. Combine that with social media amplifying the message of candidates who can now bypass a press struggling to keep them accountable, and it helps explain the allure of more authoritarian leadership. Artificial intelligence tools will only make things worse, as the proliferation of fake news, misinformation and disinformation inundate the timelines of a largely young and often unquestioning voter demographic.