Author: Ben Nigrin

Co-founder and acting president of Bipartisan Disagreement.

As I take in the moment of silence held over Queen Elizabeth II’s casket, I am struck by the magnitude of this moment. Not only because one of the most enduring leaders the modern world has ever known is now dead, but also because it reflects the rapidly evolving landscape of political ideology. While a vestige of absolutism and monarchy fades, so too does the world’s grip on meaningful democracy. Many have called for the end of the monarchy as King Charles III takes the throne, meanwhile populist leaders in “democratic” nations have begun to consolidate power in ways that have led scholars to question whether democracy still exists in these nations. Have we traded rulers for tyrants? Will democracy survive the next decades?

Queen Elizabeth II said, “…better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.”

Donald Trump said, “I alone can fix it.”