Delivering for Democracy: Why Results Matter

Issue Date April 2025
Volume 36
Issue 2
Page Numbers 5–19
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The global wave of democratic backsliding has questioned the ascendancy of democracy in the twenty-first century. A purported decline in political trust and satisfaction with democracy, alongside the rise of high-performing autocracies, has sparked conjectures that popular support for the democratic project is eroding in favor of new, more authoritarian alternatives. Part of this discussion concerns the extent to which service delivery and outcomes matter for the legitimacy and stability of democracy. We argue that delivery for citizens is crucial to rebuilding the social contract and hence support for democracy alongside thwarting backsliding. We reflect on infrastructure as a public good for exposition.

About the Authors

Francis Fukuyama

Francis Fukuyama is the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow, director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and professor (by courtesy) of political science at Stanford University.

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Chris Dann

Chris Dann is a PhD candidate in political science at Stanford University.

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Beatriz Magaloni

Beatriz Magaloni is Graham Stuart Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science at Stanford University.

View all work by Beatriz Magaloni

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