---
title: "Prominent Researcher Predicts That Democracy Is Going to Collapse"
description: "Psychologist Shawn Rosenberg argued that \"democracy is devouring itself\" in a presentation to the Int'l Society of Political Psychologists."
date: "2019-09-09"
modified: "2019-09-09"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/political-global-democracy-collapse"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
tags:
  - "politics"
  - "Psychology"
  - "the digest"
---

# Prominent Researcher Predicts That Democracy Is Going to Collapse

![Shawn Rosenberg, a prominent psychologist at the University of California, Irvine told the crowd at a recent meeting of the International Society of Political Psychologists that "democracy is devouring itself," Politico reports.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/political-global-democracy-collapse.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Images via Pixabay/Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Doomsayer

Democracy may be on its way out, to be replaced by far-right populism and authoritarianism.

Shawn Rosenberg, a prominent psychologist at the University of California, Irvine shocked the crowd at a recent meeting of the International Society of Political Psychologists by arguing that "democracy is devouring itself," *[Politico ](<https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/08/shawn-rosenberg-democracy-228045>)*[reports](<https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/08/shawn-rosenberg-democracy-228045>). Ultimately, he doesn't believe that everyday people are up to the task of keeping it running.

## Sinking Ship

In Rosenberg's presentation, he pointed to the rising influence of far-right populism in Brazil, the U.S., the U.K., and across Europe as a troubling sign that authoritarian governments have become more appealing to everyday people than the notion of active civic duty.

"In well-established democracies like the United States, democratic governance will continue its inexorable decline and will eventually fail," he told the crowd.

## Open Floodgates

Rosenberg argued that active participation in a democracy requires thoughtfulness, discipline, and the ability to parse propaganda from valid information, *Politico* reports. Ironically, with the emergence of a more democratized internet, people are [turning to social media](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/teens-trust-youtubers-journalists>) — where they absorb posts that confirm their existing political biases — over more [reputable sources of information](<https://futurism.com/social-media-newspapers>).

"In sum, the majority of Americans are generally unable to understand or value democratic culture, institutions, practices or citizenship in the manner required," Rosenberg concluded. "To the degree to which they are required to do so, they will interpret what is demanded of them in distorting and inadequate ways."

**READ MORE:** [The Shocking Paper Predicting the End of Democracy](<https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/08/shawn-rosenberg-democracy-228045>) \[*Politico*\]

**More on democracy:** *[We’ve Seen What Bots Do to Democracy. Are We Adapting Fast Enough?](<https://futurism.com/bots-democracy-ireland-referendum>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)