A World Safe for Democracy: Liberal Internationalism and the Crises of Global Order

By G. John Ikenberry

Categories: History, Politics & Social Sciences

In A World Safe for Democracy (2020), Princeton political scientist G. John Ikenberry recounts two centuries of liberal internationalism: the project of building an open, rules-based order in which democracies can survive. He traces the tradition from its Enlightenment roots through Woodrow Wilson and the post-1945 settlement, then weighs how it fares against illiberal rivals and nationalist revolt. For Ikenberry, a reformed liberal order remains the best defense of free societies.

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• Fareed Zakaria: “[1:05:16] So one book I thought, since we do often talk about the rules-based international order, and it does sound so wonky that I would suggest a wonky book that explains it. The best scholar who's written on this is a guy named John Ikenberry at Princeton. And I think the book is called A World Safe for Democracy.”