Out of Touch? The Elite-Citizen Gap and the Future of Global Cooperation

Elites and citizens seem far apart on global governance today. Think of Brexit, Trump, and the rise of populism. On the one hand, societal leaders tend to embrace international institutions such as the European Union and the Group of Seven. On the other hand, much of the general public apparently turns against ‘globalization’.

How big is the elite-citizen divide around globalism and anti-globalism? How does this gap vary between countries, between social sectors, and between issue-areas? What generates this elite-citizen split? What can be the consequences for global cooperation around, say, climate change, migration, and the SDGs? What might be done to address the gap? 

This event discussed detailed research findings on these questions from the Legitimacy in Global Governance (LegGov) programme at the Universities of Stockholm, Lund and Gothenburg. The results are based on thousands of interviews undertaken over the past two years in Brazil, Germany, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, and the USA.

Panelists:
Jonas Tallberg, Professor of Political Science at Stockholm University

Karin Bäckstrand, Professor in Environmental Social Science at the Department of Political Science at Stockholm University and Senior Associate Research Fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs

Soetkin Verhaegen, Postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Political Science at Stockholm University

Commentators:
Anna Sundström, Secretary General, Olof Palme International Center

Mia Crawford, Deputy Director and Coordinator 2030 Agenda, Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs

 

Moderator:
Jan Aart Scholte, Professor of Peace and Development, School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg