Francis Fukuyam, 68, is an American political scientist and political economist. He is a professor at Stanford University. His most recent book, Ident

Francis Fukuyama : "There is no American identity anymore"

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2021-05-25 12:30:05

Francis Fukuyam, 68, is an American political scientist and political economist. He is a professor at Stanford University. His most recent book, Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment (2018) argues that the demand for identity cannot be transcended so one must begin to shape identity in a way that supports rather than undermines democracy.

ZEIT ONLINE: The United States survived President Donald Trump , but he left behind a country in shambles. Recently, Republicans ousted Liz Cheney from her party leadership position because she refused to lie about alleged election fraud. Mr. Fukuyama, in what state is the American democracy?

Francis Fukuyama: We are in an unprecedented moment of breakdown in our democratic institutions. One of the most important features of a working democracy is the successful, peaceful transfer of power. For the first time since the Civil War, this didn't happen, due to the attack on the Capitol on January 6th. Many of us had hoped that this event would finally push Republicans to realize that Donald Trump had led them into the abyss.

Fukuyama: No. And many blame the Republican elites for that. But the problem is with the core Republican voters. According to poll data, more than 70 percent of them believe that there was major electoral fraud. They trust Trump more than they trust the courts or other institutions. And the Republican leadership has not yet stood up to parts of its own electorate. A lot of them quietly know that they've chained themselves to this loser. But only Liz Cheney has said so openly.