Daron Acemoglu, Economist: Liberal democracy is in crisis

The Interview · Sep 1, 2026 · 22m

BBC Newsnight presenter Paddy O’Connell speaks to Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoglu about why he thinks liberal democracy is in crisis, and how artificial intelligence could make it worse.

Daron argues that liberal democracy worked because people were given a say in how they were governed and then benefited from their country’s economy as it prospered.

But western governments have made major decisions on issues like immigration without first building public agreement, something which was once important.

In an interview with BBC Newsnight, he says that together, these changes have…