In our contemporary society, democracy is in danger of collapsing like a house of cards due to a number of forces coming together. Democracy is a system of self-governance that is often carried out by a system of elected political representatives who conduct government business on behalf of the people. A healthy democracy needs a population that is well-informed and takes part, policies that are based on facts, equal opportunities, social mobility, freedom from corruption, freedom of thought, freedom from discrimination, and the chance for people to reach their full potential. In other words, a healthy democracy should create the conditions necessary for both individuals and communities to flourish. However, democracy is coming under more and more attack. Less than 50% of the world’s population now lives in a democracy, and global freedom indicators have been declining for 15 years. Democracies have also decreased globally. The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, economic uncertainty, social polarization, a lack of social cohesion, declining youth mental health, misinformation, and the unintended effects of social media are just some of the new problems that are threatening democracy and have far-reaching political and economic effects.

In order to strengthen democracy, we desperately need new strategies. Making policies to improve brain health is one promising strategy with unrealized potential. The World Health Organization defines good brain health as “a state in which each person can learn, reach their full potential, and make the most of their cognitive, psychological, neurophysiological, and behavioral responses while adapting to new situations.” So, brain health is more than just not being sick. It is a more complete, person-centered concept that can be used at all stages of life. By taking brain health into account when making policy, we may be able to solve global problems and promote democracy at all levels of society.

Brain health is a good policy goal for reducing global problems and making democracy stronger at every level of society. To begin with, it’s crucial to comprehend how issues with brain health threaten democracy. Marmot (2020) argues in The Lancet that the distortions and subversions brought about by escalating social and economic inequality are what connect despair to a democracy. Desperation and inequality are, in fact, developing problems and national security issues. Deaths of despair (suicide and alcohol and drug poisoning) are becoming so common in the United States that they are reducing the country’s average life expectancy. Despair can make people more open to false information, more extreme on the far right, and more likely to act in an extreme way. Despite the danger to democracy and national security, there aren’t enough federally coordinated policy initiatives to deal with the causes of hopelessness and inequality, particularly from a neuroscience and bio-psycho-social standpoint. To enhance brain health, we must reduce all types of inequality, including those that cause people to commit suicide out of despair.

Another illustration would be how wars and violence endanger democracy and harm brain health in a variety of ways. People who have lived in or been exposed to war-torn areas are more likely to experience physical disability, psychological distress, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol and drug abuse, suicidality, psychosomatic illnesses, and loss of social engagement, to name just a few of the many brain health challenges. Soldiers, women, kids, seniors, and people with disabilities are disproportionately impacted. It is possible to create policies that both avoid and lessen the effects of violence and war by taking into account brain health. Focusing on brain health is the best way to promote democracy and counteract the effects of democracies that don’t work well. Also, we need a better understanding of the structural factors (like social, economic, and political factors) that change the relationship between democracy and brain health.

A new method for developing policies that will protect and strengthen democracy is to focus on brain capital. A new economic resource called “brain capital” puts brain functions like resilience, creativity, and wisdom at the top of the list, makes them work together, and gets the most out of them. Making brain capital a policy priority could give people more economic power, make society more resilient, and strengthen democracy. Brain capital gives people a chance to invest in these priceless resources and make communities and brains healthier, stronger, and more adaptable. This is important because minds are the only thing that can make people grow. Existing economic indicators do not adequately account for brain capital. The next step is to come up with new ways to measure and quantify brain capital in a fair way. This will help us better understand the relationship between brain capital and democracy. Users will be able to track progress within and across countries in the achievement of the goals set by the Brain Capital initiative using the dashboard, which is currently under construction and will also provide guidelines for doing so. Policymakers, people who work in medicine and other fields, and people who work for international organizations will all use it.

Economic strategies and policies that are aimed at improving brain health offer a new, people-centered way to make democracy stronger. To solve the most important problems in the world, like people dying from despair, we need policies that take brain health into account and look at democracy through the lens of neuroscience.

Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network