Editors’ Note: Look for this logo to find which essays and forums are part of Boston Review's special project Democracy’s Promise.


For nearly thirty years, Boston Review’s essays and signature forums have delivered thoughtful, ambitious discussions of foundational issues of democratic theory and practice. With democracy now subject to sharp challenges both domestically and globally, we are rededicating ourselves to it with a year-long special project called Democracy’s Promise: Toward a Post-Neoliberal Society. The principal aim of Democracy’s Promise, which is made possible by generous support from the Hewlett Foundation, is to help pave the way for policymakers and citizens to rethink conventional options. 

We will be publishing regular essays and forums online and in print that explore such basic questions as: How can democratic societies protect—and protect themselves from—the free flow of (digital) information? How does market primacy challenge democratic practice, and what are the best strategies for reasserting democratic values? How can democracies address the climate threat? And how can we achieve a religiously pluralistic, multiracial society of equals, whose members cooperate on fair terms, are assured the rudiments of a decent life, and argue together about a common future?

We are excited to get started  today with an important discussion on democracy and information—“Democracy’s Dilemma”—by political scientist Henry Farrell and computer security expert Bruce Schneier. Look for responses to Farrell and Schneier in the following days. Upcoming forums will include Danielle Allen on the future of public education, Lenore Palladino on reimagining corporate governance, Aziz Rana, Adom Getachew, and Alyssa Battistoni on the prospects of a multiracial populism, and much, much more.

See more from Democracy's Promise here, and make sure that you follow Boston Review’s mailing listFacebook, and Twitter so that you don’t miss these pieces.