**TL;DR: Western liberalism, or liberal democracy, represents the empirically most effective system of government.** Western liberalism, or liberal democracy, encodes the political systems of most “western countries'' in North America and Europe. It has also spread to many countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In recent years, the political system has become increasingly under doubt. The rise of anti-globalization populism and the growing social issues in leading liberal democracies, such as the U.S. and the UK, has fueled doubt about the practicality of the system. The rise of China seems to present an alternative and potentially more effective system. Liberal democracy seems increasingly obsolete. That view of obsoleteness is definitively false. Many empirical studies have associated liberal democracy with economic development and stable security. Liberal democracies continue to occupy most of the most economically advanced countries in the world. Studies have also shown that [liberal democracies are less likely to engage in war or face internal turmoil](https://www.brookings.edu/research/liberal-democracy-and-the-path-to-peace-and-security/). This evidence of stability and growth may seem contradictory to facts. Many liberal democracies have witnessed significant unrest and economic stagnation. The infamous and endless war by the U.S. looms large over this claim. However, a comparative conclusion requires a comparative approach. In other words, the growing issues in liberal democracies may come from an overall rise in instability everywhere. As long as liberal democracies perform better than others, they should remain the preferred system. Indeed, compared with many other countries, the unrest in the U.S. or the UK seems comparatively more manageable. Even the case of China fails to challenge the advantage of liberal democracies. When one complains of the endless war in the U.S, one should not forget China’s aggression in the Asia Pacific. When one sees more stability in China than in Western Europe, one should remember the drastic surveillance and oppression used to achieve that goal. When one compares the economic rise of China to the decline of the West, one must remember that the economic stagnation of the West does not represent the economic stagnation of liberal democracy. When looking at the economic rise of India, Nigeria, Taiwan, and many other countries with some degrees of liberal democracy, one realizes that China represents the exception rather than the rule. Liberal democracy has its share of problems. Countries should never give up on attempting to enhance their systems and increase their competitiveness. However, characterizing liberal democracy as obsolete faces not only the challenges of values but also the lack of empirical evidence.

**TL;DR – Despite some cracks appearing in the system, there is more evidence to suggest that Western liberalism is here to stay.** In 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell, many people saw this as a [victory](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/08/the-guardian-view-on-the-fall-of-the-berlin-wall-historys-lessons) for Western liberalism, a concept which encompasses a respect for democracy, the free market, and individual rights. Some commentators, such as Francis Fukuyama, dubbed this turn of events as the [“end of history”](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/21/bring-back-ideology-fukuyama-end-history-25-years-on), and argued that liberal democracy was the final form of human government. However in 2019, the Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked that Western liberalism was [“obsolete”](https://www.ft.com/content/34f3edc0-9990-11e9-9573-ee5cbb98ed36). Indeed, some recent events could support this statement: • The [rise of China](https://www.orfonline.org/research/the-west-wanes-china-grows-whats-at-stake-for-the-liberal-order/), a country which possesses an authoritarian political system and a more than questionable human rights records; • The United Kingdom’s [vote to leave the European Union](https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexitdemocracychurchillnationalism-a7550141.html) in 2016; • The United States’ decision to elect the populist figure Donald Trump as its 45th President in 2016; • The rise of nationalist political figures in Europe such as [Marine Le Pen](https://www.ft.com/content/3eef140e-25ce-11e7-a34a-538b4cb30025). Although these events suggest that Western liberalism is weaker than it once was, this does necessarily mean that Western liberalism has _lost_ to other systems of government. For example, the citizens’ [rejection of Le Pen](https://www.vox.com/world/2017/5/7/15571666/french-elections-emmanuel-macron-marine-le-pen-front-national-vote-win) in 2017 and [Trump](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-lost-2020-election-coronanvirus-pandemic-b1796315.html) in 2020 demonstrates that people are still dedicated to preserving a healthy democracy. Moreover, the world’s constant outrage at human rights abuses such as [police brutality](https://www.vox.com/2020/6/12/21285244/black-lives-matter-global-protests-george-floyd-uk-belgium), [concentration camps](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-22278037), and [sexual violence](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48913377) is strong evidence that Western liberalism, at least for the meantime, is here to stay.