Breakdown in civic life, long overlooked, is giving rise to extremist politics worldwide
People around the world are losing trust in democratic governments as economic prospects decline, social fabric unravels and civic participation falls. Fewer people are joining community organizations while social networks shrink and people grow more isolated.
A concentrated effort to rebuild civic life is needed to counter the weakening of community ties and democratic institutions—conditions that have fueled a global rise in extremist political movements, said former United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown during a fireside chat at USC’s Town and Gown last month.
“You’ve got the combination of economic decline and civic decline, and what it means in the end is that people are ready to look at alternatives that are anti-system,” said Brown, who chairs the new Center for Civic Society at the USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service. He also holds the Ronald L. Steel Chair in Foreign Policy and International Affairs at USC.
The work of civic repair starts with engaging people in their own communities, through greater participation in activities like volunteering, local clubs or sports leagues, Brown said. At the same time, he added, restoring faith in democracy requires political leaders to present a hopeful and attainable vision for the future.
Weakening civic life tied to economic dissatisfaction
Bob Shrum, director of the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, made introductory remarks highlighting Brown’s significant banking and health reforms in the UK, as well as his leadership in stabilizing the global financial system during the Great Recession. Since his time in office ended, Shrum said, Brown has been a leading voice for building a fair, rules-based world order.
Brown said there has been a collective “blind spot” to the importance of civic institutions that bind communities together. If bridges collapsed or banks failed, there would be calls for immediate fixes, but he said the decay in civic infrastructure hasn’t been met with the same urgency.
“I think the one thing that we’ve undervalued, underplayed, and under-researched is what is happening to civic society, and that’s at a local, regional and national level,” Brown said.
Brown discussed his ongoing research, surveying nearly 100,000 people across countries in both the Global North and South, that is aimed at identifying opportunities to strengthen civic norms and democracies. His research team includes three early-career professionals—Daniel Turner, Matt Chennells and Peter Tompkins—who hold Steel Fellowships, awarded by the Steel Chair to support emerging leaders in international and foreign policy research.
Their research shows most people are not involved in any civic activity, and their social ties are weak. Many people said they would have no one to rely on for help outside of their immediate family; a worrying number report having no close friends at all. Fewer people now also come into contact with those from different backgrounds. Social media has only deepened feelings of isolation.
Brown said there’s a strong link between this social fragmentation and widespread sentiment that the economy isn’t working for ordinary citizens, which he traced to unfulfilled promises about the benefits of globalization. While globalization created access to cheaper goods, it also brought economic devastation to communities built around manufacturing and other hard-hit industries. This weakened community bonds the jobs fostered while reinforcing beliefs that government failed to deliver.
These trends, Brown said, are helping drive the global rise of nationalist, populist parties with skeptical views of immigration, trade and international cooperation. They claim to represent forgotten communities and promise quick fixes to complex problems. While the recent electoral defeat of Hungary’s authoritarian populist prime minister Viktor Orban is a hopeful sign for democracy’s resilience, Brown noted that nationalist parties are still gaining support in Europe and elsewhere.
“The thing about nationalism is it is so easy for people to give false or easy solutions, and you just say someone else is to blame—immigrants are to blame, foreigners are to blame,” Brown said. “That has got such a visceral, raw power that you’ve got to be able to contest it with something that persuades people that you’ve got a vision of the future.”
[Y]ou’ve got to be able to contest [nationalism] with something that persuades people that you’ve got a vision of the future.”
The Right Honorable Gordon Brown
Reimagining civic engagement and leadership
Backed by a generous gift from USC Trustee Leonard D. Schaeffer, the Center for Civic Society was established last year to study and promote democratic values around the world. The conversation with Brown, facilitated by USC Provost Andrew T. Guzman, was the first in a new Schaeffer Leadership Series featuring discussions with leaders in government, the private sector and academia focused on strengthening democracy.
Universities can play an important role in revitalizing civic society by bringing together people of different backgrounds and perspectives, Brown said. Public community spaces, such as libraries or recreational facilities, can also be better leveraged to encourage participation in shared activities.
“I think the more we can do and create the opportunities—and I think we’ve got to be proactive in doing so, it doesn’t just happen—we could actually make a big difference,” he said.
Brown said there also must be an effort to train the next generation of civic leaders, which is core to the Schaeffer Institute’s mission. The Schaeffer Fellows in Government Service program, a flagship program of the Institute, has connected more than 450 undergraduates with paid government internships and professional mentoring since launching in 2015.
While community engagement is essential, Brown said politicians must also respond more effectively to pressing societal challenges, including the seismic disruption stemming from the boom in artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. This means not only being better prepared with policies but also setting clearer expectations for what is possible and recognizing that people rally around shared values.
“I think it’s really important to recognize that ideas, beliefs and values have got a really, really important part to play in the development, not just of your political system, but of our whole civic life,” he said.
About the Center for Civic Society
Established in 2025, the Center for Civic Society works to assess, strengthen and promote democratic values around the world through research, civic engagement and global dialogue. The Center is led by former United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who also holds the Ronald L. Steel Chair in Foreign Policy and International Affairs, and unites scholars from across USC to identify the roots of polarization, address complex societal challenges, conduct rigorous analysis and develop actionable solutions. It is a flagship program of the USC Leonard D. Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service.