The Great Experiment

Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure

By: Yascha Mounk

Narrated by: JD Jackson

One of Barack Obama's Recommended Reads for Summer

“[A] brave and necessary book . . . Anyone interested in the future of liberal democracy, in the US or anywhere else, should read this book.” —Anne Applebaum

“A convincing, humane, and hopeful guide to the present and future by one of our foremost democratic thinkers.” —George Packer

“A rare thing: [an] academic treatise . . . that may actually have influence in the arena of practical politics. . . . Passionate and personal.” —Joe Klein, New York Times Book Review

From one of our sharpest political thinkers, a brilliant big-picture vision of how to bridge the bitter divides within diverse democracies

Never in history has a democracy succeeded in being both diverse and equal, treating different ethnic or religious groups fairly. And yet achieving that goal is now central to the democratic project. It is, Yascha Mounk argues, the greatest experiment of our time. Drawing on history, social psychology, and comparative politics, Mounk explains why we need to create a world in which our ascriptive identities come to matter less—not because we ignore global injustices, but because we have succeeded in addressing them.

The Great Experiment is that rare book that offers both a profound understanding of an urgent problem and genuine hope for our human capacity to solve it. As Mounk contends, it is up to us and the institutions we build whether we come to see each other as strangers or compatriots. Giving up on the prospect of diverse democracies is simply not an option—and that is why we must strive to realize a more ambitious vision for the future of our societies.

©2022 Yascha Mounk (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“A rare thing: [an] academic treatise . . . that may actually have influence in the arena of practical politics. . . . Passionate and personal.”—Joe Klein, New York Times Book Review

“Mounk’s calm mix of storytelling, political theory and social psychology exegesis, peppered with some charming insights, has a comforting seriousness.”—Washington Post

“The fundamental argument of The Great Experiment is correct both morally and practically. Building diverse democracies is indeed hard. But, given the current composition of our societies, no alternative exists . . . A coherent and well-written call to arms.”—Martin Wolf, The Financial Times

Excellent- well constructed and thought provoking. Balanced

Excellent well balanced presentation of the challenges faced by democracies. Readers on both sides of the political spectrum should find great insights.

Great overview of a meta phenomenon

An honest and thorough accounting of the distinctly modern phenomena of diverse and representative democracy’s.

Read this and I promise you will feel better!

An in depth look at the theory behind diverse democracies written in an easy to understand style with lots of examples and well earned optimism

Intellectually honest and optimistic

This is a well-researched and intellectually honest book that addresses America’s underlying divisions and how it can overcome them. It is unsparingly honest, yet balanced and upbeat, reminding readers of the strengths and successes of the American experiment so far. It is by building upon these - rather than forming new sub-group divisions - that this great experiment can endure.

Balanced analysis of the perils facing our democracy and the hope to make it succeed

Have you wondered why right wing populism gained traction in America? This book provides valuable insight into why some Americans feel worried. The author gives concrete tips on what we can do to make this great experiment continue to succeed.

Unbiased

I’ve read quite a few books on democracy the last few years for obvious reasons. This one was very good. The author managed to hit on issues from both the right and the left as well as possible solutions for all democratic backsliding.

Ehhh…

This book is ok, but falls into both sideism. The author even addresses the fallacy in the last chapter, yet does not discuss the important aspect of proportionality. Yes, criticize and point to the Left’s issues. They are there.

However, what the author does is take the huge camel size issues on the Right, and compare it too gnat sized complaints on the Left. There are issues that both sides have major faults, fallacies, and horrible ideas about, but this subject is not one of them. It feels like he is trying to find some flaw on the Left to look like he is being equitably to both sides.

It doesn’t work. A good example of straining a gnat and swallowing a camel though.

This is a centrist tome, and if you are all about both sideism and especially if you lean Leftward in that, you will find much to like here. If not, I would pass.

A lot to think about…honest and hopeful

The truth about people’s need to group and it’s positive and negative consequences to fundamental principles and recommendations that can preserve and democratic societies is a lot to think about. But there is so much to hope for and opportunities for a path to a better world. We need to engage and be open minded right now.

Should have started at chapter 10

I feel like the first 9 chapters were trivial. As an immigrant who has “paid attention” to social issues all my life, Yascha taught me nothing new, except in Chapter 10 when he was quoting the research on the topic. The premise of the book should be centered on those promising ideas, especially when it comes to the link between economic growth and diverse democracy. The conclusion is well written.

Also, I find it odd that Yascha would choose to talk mostly about the US as the democracy in question, and not discuss more mature examples. When he chose to briefly highlight another failing democracy he chose… Lebanon ?! and not, for example, a bit south from there, Israel, where the privilege of democracy is bestowed only on people from the author’s heritage. Yet we continue to call Israel the only democracy in the Middle East. Missed opportunity or, conscious bias?

Total left

One big thing this author and all that write about the shooting of people by the police is that in most cases the person that is killed initiated an action that caused the police to get involved. Their are bad police but they are a small part of the big picture and for some reason this author chooses to forget that. We must remember all history not select portions how did things get to where they are and why.History will repeat itself if we do not remember it all. I think this author has only a one sided slant. In spite of one sided views the Great Experiment will endure for a long time.