That poor health of global democracy led MIT economist Daron Acemoğlu and a team of researchers to examine what makes people both supportive and skeptical of democracy. The results aren’t surprising: A successful democracy makes people enthusiastic about democracy. In particular, Acemoğlu and colleagues conclude in “(Successful) Democracies Breed Their Own Support,” it’s “exposure to democratic regimes that deliver economic growth, peace and political stability and public services that makes people more willing to support democracy. In contrast, greater exposure to democracies that are not hampered by deep recessions, mired in political instability, or unable to provide public services does not appear to increase support for democracy.”

Americans haven’t seen a lot of successful governance lately, from the Iraq War to the global financial crisis of 2008 to the COVID-19 pandemic. And while I’m no fan of the $3.5 trillion bill, it would reflect incredibly poorly on American democracy — both domestically and internationally — if we can’t even fill a few potholes, strengthen a few bridges, and promptly raise the debt ceiling so financial markets stay calm and the United States doesn’t look like an utter laughingstock. Progressives need to pass something here if they don’t want to help turn their fascism fears into self-fulfilling prophecy.

So if progressive Democrats have to settle for a far smaller social spending bill — perhaps with means testing of new “universal” programs, for instance — they should grab the opportunity, right after they vote overwhelmingly for the infrastructure bill and the debt hike. American democracy will thank them for it.