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Building Trust and Reinforcing Democracy

Preparing the Ground for Government Action

image of Building Trust and Reinforcing Democracy

Democracies are at a critical juncture, under growing internal and external pressures. This publication sheds light on the important public governance challenges countries face today in preserving and strengthening their democracies, including fighting mis- and disinformation; improving government openness, citizen participation and inclusiveness; and embracing global responsibilities and building resilience to foreign influence. It also looks at two cross-cutting themes that will be crucial for robust, effective democracies: transforming public governance for digital democracy and gearing up government to deliver on climate and other environmental challenges. These areas lay out the foundations of the new OECD Reinforcing Democracy Initiative, which has also involved the development of action plans to support governments in responding to these challenges.

English Also available in: French

Executive summary

Democratic governance has proven to be the best institutional system for protecting and promoting individual rights and freedoms while allowing long-term sustainable gains in well-being. Yet, low voter turnout, greater political polarisation and larger groups of citizens dissociating themselves from traditional democratic processes represent challenges for policy makers in many OECD countries today. Even in the most well-established democracies, these trends are testing institutions and hindering governments’ ability to address pressing social and economic challenges. At the same time, major global disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian aggression against Ukraine, and climate change, have underscored the importance of strengthening the governance of democracies – and citizens’ trust in them.

English Also available in: French

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