Understanding the global power crisis: causes and effects

Today, we are witnessing a crisis of power across many countries. It shows itself in different ways: mass protests, deep social polarization, the search for an “external enemy”, and growing fatigue with traditional institutions. International studies and political analyses confirm this trend – trust in authorities is falling, and institutional stability is weakening worldwide.

A crisis of power rarely starts suddenly. It builds up over time. People stop believing promises and begin to notice the gap between words and actions. Power may keep its formal institutions, but if society feels they are empty, trust disappears.

Protests are not just political actions. They are emotional reactions to a sense of injustice. People go to the streets because they feel ignored. According to World Protests data, between 2006 and 2020 there were 2,809 protests in 101 countries.

From 2021 to 2025, the world saw a new surge. Data from the Global Protest Tracker and Statista show hundreds of major anti-government protests in more than 80 countries. The reasons differ – corruption, inequality, social pressure – but the core feeling is the same: power does not listen.

When society is divided into camps, compromise becomes impossible. People start thinking in terms of “us” and “them”. Any decision by the authorities is seen as an attack on one side.

This destroys trust in democratic institutions and makes governance less effective. In the US and Europe, this shows up as rising populism and radical movements. In other regions, ethnic and religious tensions grow.

Authorities often try to manage crises by creating the image of an external enemy. This is an old method. It is easier to unite people against a foreign threat than to solve internal problems. But it does not last. In the long run, it fuels international conflicts and further erodes trust inside the country.

Parliaments, parties, and bureaucracies are supposed to be tools of governance. When they fail to deliver, people start seeing them as detached and useless.

As a result, citizens lose faith in elections, avoid politics, and stop expecting change.

Recent research highlights several key forms of the crisis:

• ⁠ ⁠Illiberal democracy – institutions exist, but their real function is only simulated
• ⁠ ⁠Dysfunction of representative democracy – parliaments and parties lose their role as mediators
• ⁠ ⁠Institutional instability – the state reacts too slowly to crises
• ⁠ ⁠Loss of feedback – authorities stop hearing citizens, and citizens stop trusting authorities

These trends reinforce each other and form a global pattern. Traditional governance models no longer work, and societies are searching for new sources of legitimacy and participation.

The crisis of power is not limited to institutional failure. It shows itself in how people perceive authority and respond to its actions. Trust is not just a political asset. It is the psychological foundation of stability. When it disappears, even strong institutions start to look hollow.

Legitimacy depends on a sense of fairness and the ability to solve problems. As protests and polarization grow, people stop believing that power has the moral right to govern.

Citizens withdraw from elections, treat initiatives as empty statements, and disengage. Elites, meanwhile, act as if public trust does not matter. This speeds up delegitimization and reinforces the image of elites as a closed club.

In times of crisis, elites often choose stricter control. This is an irrational response. Instead of rebuilding trust, power becomes more centralized and institutions are manipulated. Parliaments, courts, and media turn into tools for preserving the status quo.

Rhetoric about external threats may unite society for a short time, but it undermines internal stability in the long run.

Lack of trust breeds radicalism. When people see no way to influence the system, they turn to protest movements, sometimes extreme ones. Society fragments – generations, regions, and value groups drift apart.

For many, emigration becomes the exit. This leads to brain drain and capital outflows, weakening the country’s long-term potential.

Authorities launch reforms, but the core of the system does not change. This creates a sense of imitation, deepens cynicism, and increases detachment. State institutions lose the ability to adapt to crises, and feedback between society and power collapses.

The consequences of the power crisis go beyond political instability. What emerges is a psychological gap between society and elites. Elites respond with more control and simulated reforms. Society answers with distrust, apathy, and radicalization.

The result is a vicious circle: the more power tries to hold its position by force, the faster it loses legitimacy.