LSE: The Ballpark | After the Fall: From the End of History to the Crisis of Democracy with Professor Ian Shapiro

From the rise of Donald Trump in the US, Brexit in the United Kingdom and Victor Orban in Hungary and National Rally in France, anti-system populists have seen a resurgence in many western democracies in the last decade. In his new book, "After the Fall: From the End of History to the Crisis of Democracy, How Politicians Broke Our World" Professor Ian Shapiro of Yale University and Visiting Professor at the Phelan US Centre, looks at why voters in these countries have become disaffected and how the policies adopted by elites following the end of the Cold War have allowed populism to flourish.

In January 2026 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor Shapiro about his new book. The conversation covered how the 2008 financial crisis and the collapse of inclusive economic growth has led to the growth of populism and a crisis of democracy. They also discussed the US’ turn away from democracy promotion and Trump’s "America First" policies and how political and economic elites must prioritise inclusive growth which can help to restore democratic legitimacy.

This episode was produced by Chris Gilson and Avan Fata.

Further reading and resources

• After the Fall: From the End of History to the Crisis of Democracy, How Politicians Broke Our World, Ian Shapiro (Basic Books, 2026)
• The Wolf at the Door: The Menace of Economic Insecurity and How to Fight It, Michael J. Graetz and Ian Shapiro (Harvard University Press, 2020)
• The Real World of Democratic Theory, Ian Shapiro, (Princeton University Press, 2010)
• Working papers by Ian Shapiro: https://shapiro.macmillan.yale.edu/publications/working-papers
• Leitner Program on Effective Democratic Governance at the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs: https://jackson.yale.edu/leitner-program-on-effective-democratic-governance/

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