Support for Democracy in the Age of Rising Inequality and Population Aging

This article argues that advanced democracies face a dual crisis of rising inequality and population aging, which jointly put pressure on welfare regime sustainability. Particularly vulnerable are young people and the elderly in the context of these structural changes. As a result, young people and senior citizens in advanced democracies are increasingly focused on economic equality, which in turn undermines their support for democracy in its current form that prioritizes liberal economic policies. Survey data collected between 2010 and 2020 support the argument. Regardless of the political issues on which they differ, young and old appear to share similar views on what constitutes an ideal democracy.