Consequences

An engrossing and practical discussion of how to deal with contemporary challenges to democracy and civilization. In Consequences: The Rise of a Fractured World Order, William Priest, David Roche, and Alex Michailoff deliver an engaging, timely, and insightful analysis of identifying the sources and challenges facing liberal democracies and their ability to confront autocracies and autocratic behavior. The authors identify and address structural flaws present in both democracies and autocracies. The book explains why the creation and distribution of wealth matters in creating nations where democracy can flourish, and the populace at large can win. Strategies for the creation of wealth (broadly defined) and its equitable distribution combined with the democratic tools that voters, investors, and citizens have available make it more likely those strategies can be deployed. You'll also find: Detailed and accurate discussions of the end of the liberal world order, post-cold war historical shifts, and the challenges that lie ahead. Explorations of the threat to democracy posed by populist politics and philosophies. An analysis of the likelihood of contemporary political actors to reform our economics and politics, and the steps we can take if they fail to do so A startlingly original and eye-opening read for executives, investors, policymakers, and regulators, Consequences is an essential resource for everyone interested in the interplay between politics, economics, and long-term investment outcomes.

PREFACE IX ABOUT THE AUTHORS XIII ACKNOWLEDGMENTS XV CHAPTER ONE EXTERNAL CHALLENGES 1 CHAPTER TWO INTERNAL DEMOCRATIC DECAY 29 CHAPTER THREE POPULISM 43 CHAPTER FOUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE NETWORK EFFECT 61 CHAPTER FIVE THE AI OF IT ALL 81 CHAPTER SIX LIVING IN THE GRAYZONE 101 CHAPTER SEVEN THE NOT SO MIGHTY GREENBACK 121 CHAPTER EIGHT IMMIGRATION 133 CHAPTER NINE THE HEART OF THE MATTER 143 CHAPTER TEN THE LAST CHAPTER 151 NOTES 165 INDEX 179