Francis Fukuyama on Trump, China and the Legacy of 9/11

Francis Fukuyama, a political scientist at Stanford University, re-examines his seminal work, *The End of History and The Last Man*, to address contemporary threats to liberal democracy. The discussion centers on the human drive for "recognition"—the fundamental need to be valued—which, when ignored by material-focused systems, fuels political instability and populism. Fukuyama identifies excessive proceduralism as a primary barrier to effective governance, arguing that modern institutions have become so constrained by rules that they lack the state capacity to achieve ambitious societal goals. He further explores how algorithmic communication and artificial intelligence disrupt traditional political orders, creating new challenges for maintaining social cohesion. Ultimately, the survival of liberal democracy depends on restoring administrative competence and addressing the deep-seated resentments that arise when citizens feel invisible within their own political systems.