Analyzing Democratic Challenges

The project “Analyzing Democratic Challenges” explores how polarization, populism and lack of trust in institutions affect democratization in Georgia. As political and societal polarization deepens, democracies are under stress around the world. While political rivalry is part of the game in democratic system, in Georgia it has turned into extreme polarization, rather than pluralism, limiting the public narrative and manifesting beyond political groups. It has caused decline of public trust in the media, considered as a “source of disinformation” by part of the society; and the civil society organizations, especially think tanks, that face the challenges of “post-truth” era. Through interlinked activities, GIP will analyze the underlying causes of polarization in Georgia and its impact on the functioning of democracy.

Project objectives:

• To better understand the causes of political polarization in Georgia and its impact on democratization.
• To identify and promote strategies to strengthen trust in Georgian political institutions and media.

Activities:

• Producing series of policy briefs and analytical papers on populism, polarization and its challenges to Georgia’s democracy.
• Hosting the International Conference on Democratization in Georgia, were panel discussions are based on a series of policy briefs.
• Conducting surveys of experts with respondents from political parties, academia, think tanks, and civil society.
• Organizing a Think Tanks Forum for Georgian think tanks and hybrid organizations. The forum participants will discuss, how to build credibility and produce balanced analysis; how to increase impact on shaping policy narratives; and what should be the think tanks response to the issues of populism, polarization and diminishing trust.