The Liberal World Order that was put in place after World War II and came to maturity following the revolutions of 1989 has suffered severe shocks from the rise of populist nationalism and revanchist authoritarianism. In this article co-authors Rev. Drew Christiansen, S.J., and Jeff Steinberg note the challenges this has created around climate change, refugees and migrants, nuclear diplomacy, and economic globalization, among others. They point out that to a very large extent, whether liberal values flourish again may depend on the outcome of the next three American elections between 2020 and 2024. Christiansen and Steinberg conclude that reform and redesign of global institutions—the product of patient and inventive diplomacy—will be needed to address the shortcomings of the past. This article was published in the November 2019 English-language issue of La Civiltà Cattolica.
Opens in a new window