The Future of Democracy: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Vulnerabilities, Risks and Strategies for Democratic Resilience

This Research Topic is associated with an international conference, The Future of Democracy: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Vulnerabilities, Risks and Strategies for Democratic Resilience, that we are organising in Iași, Romania, on June 25-26, 2026. We welcome contributions from presenters and attendees of this event, but also from the wider research community. Democracy is under growing pressure from populism, political polarisation, institutional distrust, and the spread of disinformation. Understanding these threats requires using an interdisciplinary lens and looking beyond structures and systems to include the attitudes, emotions, cognitions, and behaviours that shape how individuals and groups engage with democratic life.This collection aims to bring together psychological and interdisciplinary research to advance our understanding of what makes democracies vulnerable, and what can effectively support their resilience.Contributions are invited that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:- The psychological underpinnings of populism, authoritarianism, and anti-democratic attitudes.- Intergroup conflict, prejudice, and polarisation as drivers of democratic erosion.- How disinformation and algorithmic environments shape political beliefs, trust, and behaviour.- The role of institutional trust, legitimacy perceptions, and political disengagement.- Collective action, civic participation, and the social psychology of democratic renewal.- Psychological interventions and strategies for building democratic resilience. Topic editors: John Betts, Professor Ihsan Yilmaz, Cornelia Măirean Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83028/the-future-of-democracy-interdisciplinary-perspectives-on-vulnerabilities-risks-and-strategies-for-democratic-resilience