What Happened to Liberal Democracy?

This book makes a powerful case for rebuilding Roosevelt-like “working-class liberalism”. A very important work and a must-read – Thomas Piketty, bestselling author of CAPITAL IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
I massively enjoyed [this] book – Robert Peston
Millions of readers will treasure Acemoglu’s thoughtful proposed solution to the most important question of modern democracy – Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL
An urgent rallying cry for a new politics of shared prosperity, [from] the most influential contemporary analyst of the links among economics, technology and politics. Timely and thought-provoking, [this book] is an important call to arms – Martin Wolf * FINANCIAL TIMES *
This urgent book reminds us that the path charted by technology is not destiny, it is a moral and political choice. In these unsettled times, Acemoglu forces us to reckon with our very human responsibility to stand up for (and with) the less powerful – Esther Duflo, 2019 Nobel laureate in Economics and author of POOR ECONOMICS
Brilliant and insightful. Acemoglu pinpoints what is going wrong in the modern world, and charts a reasonable path to something much better. A tour de force that left me feeling more optimistic about the future than I have in a long time – Steven Levitt, bestselling author of FREAKONOMICS
Acemoglu absolutely nails the problem and offers parties such as the Democrats an indispensable blueprint for power … [in] the most refreshing version of a new progressivism that I have encountered in years – Matthew d’Ancona * The New World *
The Nobel-winning economist takes aim at elites for no longer meeting the needs of the masses … Acemoglu is a smooth and intelligent writer, and there is much in here to fascinate, particularly when he is on home turf – Steven Poole * Guardian *
The title of this book poses the key question of governance for our era. We desperately need coherent visions for a liberal democracy of the twenty-first century, and in these pages Acemoglu lays one out with clarity, conviction, and nuance – Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University and bestselling author of ENLIGHTENMENT NOW
A sharp, unsentimental diagnosis of the structural failures destabilising liberal democracy today. This is a necessary and precise roadmap for navigating the institutional crises ahead. Acemoglu clearly shows the future that begins after ‘the end of history’ – Ece Temelkuran, author of HOW TO LOSE A COUNTRY
This book is a major paradigm shift – James Robinson, 2024 Nobel laureate in Economics and co-author of WHY NATIONS FAIL
One of the most creative economists of our time, Acemoglu argues that the direction of new technologies is not a fact of nature but a question for democratic citizens to decide. His “working-class liberalism” would recall liberalism from its technocratic tendencies and make it an energizing force for solidarity and freedom – Michael Sandel, author of THE TYRANNY OF MERIT
Combining economic, historical and philosophical perspectives, Daron Acemoglu not only gives us an outstanding analysis of why the liberal democratic dream has faded; he also offers an energizing account of how the vision can be recruited in support of a shared prosperity. This is a book, perhaps the book, for our time – Philip Pettit, L.S. Rockefeller University Professor of Human Values, Princeton University and Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy at the Australian National University
Acemoglu is arguably the greatest economist of our generation and his call for a “working-class liberalism” is a needed shot in the arm – Ro Khanna, author of PROGRESSIVE CAPITALISM
One of the best economists of our age takes a close and penetrating look at the political crisis of liberal democracies. As thought-provoking as it is insightful, informed and incisive, this book is essential reading for anyone concerned about politics, power and populism in the twenty-first century – Joel Mokyr, 2025 Nobel laureate in Economics and author of A CULTURE OF GROWTH
A must read for anyone interested in technology, economics, politics, sociology, and the future of the world – Simon Johnson, 2024 Nobel laureate in Economics and Former Chief Economist, IMF
The worlds most influential economist – Hugo Rifkind * Times Radio *
In this elegant and deeply informed book, Daron Acemoglu explains why liberalism is worth saving despite today’s widespread skepticism. The argument is both necessary and inspiring – Angus Deaton, 2015 Nobel laureate in Economics
It’s a severely overcrowded field, yet Acemoglu, as you might expect, sheds fresh light – Clive Crook * Bloomberg *
Acemoglu is an authority on the role of technology in the transformation of the capitalist formation. He raises concerns which are widely shared on the political left and centre on both sides of the Atlantic * Morning Star *
Praise for WHY NATIONS FAIL and POWER AND PROGRESS * : *
An important book * New York Times *
A must-read. Acemoglu and Robinson are intellectual heavyweights of the first rank * Guardian *
An intellectually rich book that develops an important thesis with verve * Financial Times *
Two of the world’s leading experts on development explain why it is not geography, disease, or culture which explains why some nations are rich and some poor, but rather a matter of institutions and politics. This highly accessible book provides welcome insight to specialists and general readers alike – Francis Fukuyama, author of The End of History and The Last Man
A vital work for these times * Wall Street Journal *
A must-read. Acemoglu and Robinson are intellectual heavyweights of the first rank … they have done you the courtesy of writing a book that while at the intellectual cutting edge is not just readable but engrossing … erudite and fascinating * Observer *
Truly an awesome book. Acemoglu and Robinson tackle one of the most important problems in the social sciences - a question that has bedevilled leading thinkers for centuries - and offer an answer that is brilliant in its simplicity and power. A wonderfully readable mix of history, political science, and economics, this book will change the way we think about economic development. Why Nations Fail is a must read book – Steven Levitt, author of Freakonomics
Vital, brilliant and sweeping … Power and Progress is the blueprint we need for the challenges ahead – Shoshana Zuboff
Full praise for WHAT HAPPENED TO LIBERAL DEMOCRACY? * : *
Why has liberal democracy, after being so successful at promoting prosperity for most of the 20th century, failed in recent years? How can ignorant people be made useful? Why does the average American now have many fewer friends than a few decades ago? How does the University of California at Berkeley resemble early Christianity and Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution? Questions such as these drew millions of readers to Daron Acemoglu’s previous books. They pepper this newest book of his. Millions more readers will now treasure his thoughtful proposed solution to the most important question of modern democracy
Stop whatever you are doing and read this book. American democracy is on fire, and Daron Acemoglu has not only figured out why this happened, but he also knows how we can find a better future - through understanding how the economy really works and changing the path of innovation to create more good jobs. A must read for anyone interested in technology, economics, politics, sociology, and the future of the world
Combining economic, historical and philosophical perspectives, Daron Acemoglu not only gives us an outstanding analysis of why the liberal democratic dream has faded since its effulgence in the 1990’s; he also offers an energising account of how, built around a range of values, the vision can be recruited in support of a shared prosperity, a vibrant community and a technology serving the public good. This is a book, perhaps the book, for our time
This urgent book reminds us that the path charted by technology is not destiny, it is a moral and political choice. We can let AI replace and devalue human labour, ultimately taking away democracy as we know it. Or we can induce the tech oligarchs to develop these new tools in ways that empower workers and lead to shared prosperity. It won’t come easily, but the problem is less that algorithms have a mind of their own, than, more prosaically the greed of elites and their grip on the system. In these unsettled times, Daron Acemoglu forces us to reckon with our very human responsibility to stand up for (and with) the less powerful

Daron Acemoglu

Institute Professor at MIT. Faculty Co-Director of MIT’s Shaping the Future of Work Initiative. Research Affiliate at MIT’s Blueprint Labs.

Awards:

• John Bates Clark Medal
• BBVA Frontiers Award
• Global Economy Prize
• Nobel Prize in Economics (2024)

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