Democracy vs. Autocracy

Is the rise of illiberalism inevitable? [Foreign Affairs: On the Ballot]( September 7, 2024 | [View In Browser]( [Collage newspaper clippings of historic headlines]( In this November’s U.S. presidential election, voters will be choosing between two different visions of America—and two vastly different visions of what role the country should play in global affairs. The next president, no matter who it is, will have to contend with major foreign policy challenges, including Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, the global migrant and refugee crisis, a warming planet, and competition with China—all issues that could shape voters’ choices at the ballot box. Foreign Affairs is launching a limited-run weekly newsletter through the remainder of the 2024 campaign. It will be your go-to place for our coverage of the election, from the foreign policy challenges at stake to the key issues that will be on the agenda in 2025 and beyond. This is the first edition of the series; to continue receiving this newsletter, sign up [here](. To kick off, we’re sharing a [new essay by Francis Fukuyama]( on the lessons from this year’s elections around the world—and whether democracy will prevail over illiberal populism in the United States, as well. You can also read [Beverly Gage]( on why the U.S. far right embraces foreign tyrants, [Samantha Power]( on how to tackle democratic backsliding, and [Lucan Ahmad Way]( on the roots of authoritarian resilience. Start reading below. [The Year of Elections Has Been Good for Democracy]( [But the Biggest Test Will Come in America]( [By Francis Fukuyama](   [Image]( [The Autocratic Allure]( [Why the Far Right Embraces Foreign Tyrants]( [By Beverly Gage](   [Image]( [How Democracy Can Win]( [The Right Way to Counter Autocracy]( [By Samantha Power](   [Image]( [Don’t Count the Dictators Out]( [The Underappreciated Resilience of Today’s Autocracies]( [By Lucan Ahmad Way](   [Sign up for Foreign Affairs: On the Ballot](   [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( © 2024 Council on Foreign Relations | 58 East 68th Street, New York NY | 10065 To ensure we can contact you, please add us to your email address book or safe list.This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Receiving too many emails? Manage your email preferences [here.](