Area of Concern

Future of Governance

Democratic institutions around the world are locked in a generational-scale battle with the forces of authoritarianism, theocracy, and oligarchy. For democracy advocates, the focus has, understandably, been on protecting existing democratic institutions and norms from anti-democratic insurgencies, and the toxifying effects of misinformation and corruption. However, a rear-guard defense is not sufficient for democracy to thrive and evolve past this latest crisis.

This collaboration between the Institute for the Future’s Governance Futures Lab and the National Democratic Institute is intended to contribute to the ongoing global efforts to inspire people to protect, strengthen, and expand visions and practice of democracy. Consisting of a series of engagements with a group of global scholars, activists, elected officials, and experts on democracy and governance, the goal of the workshops was to explore, critique, and generate compelling visions of democracy. Those visions will inform those who are working to make democracy viable in the 21st century and beyond.

Explore the content on the NDI, CIPE, IRI webpage.

When something of massive consequence happens that no one predicted, we often say it was simply unimaginable. But the truth is, nothing is impossible to imagine. When we say something was unimaginable, usually it means we failed to point our imagination in the right direction. Jane McGonigal
I think the most dangerous myth is the belief that we live in a democracy. Democracy may be the myth, but the dangerous lie is that we have already achieved it. If democracy is a means to an end, we need some consensus on what that end is. Good governance? What does that mean? What values are we prioritizing? MALKA OLDER, AUTHOR, HUMANITARIAN

A summary report of the IFTF + NDI expert workshops on the futures of democracy

Visions for Democracy

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Project Contributors

Jake copy

Social Inventor. Design Futurist. Teacher

Jake Dunagan

Director, Governance Futures Lab


IFTF and NDI would like to thank our expert participants for their insights and contributions to this report.

Christopher Cabaldon | Mayor in Residence, IFTF (former Mayor of West Sacramento, CA)

Francisco Gaetani | Getulio Vargas Foundation

Jared Yates Sexton | Professor, Georgia Southern University

Nils Gilman | VP of Programs, Berggruen Institute

Rebecca Shamash | Director, Equitable Futures Lab, IFTF

Malka Older | Author, Humanitarian

Joey Siu | Policy Advisor, Hong Kong Watch

David Adler | General Coordinator, Progressive International

Frances Hui | Multimedia Journalist

Trygve Throntveit | Global Fellow, Woodrow Wilson Institute

Alex Ebert | Musician, Activist

About National Democratic Institute (NDI)

NDI is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization that works in partnership around the world to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions, processes, norms and values to secure a better quality of life for all. NDI envisions a world where democracy and freedom prevail, with dignity for all. ndi.org