Democratic Drain: Global Migration and the Struggle for Democracy

International and Global Studies’ Global Migration and Diaspora Program presents “Democratic Drain: Global Migration and the Struggle for Democracy” with Justin Gest.

Based on his book of the same title (Cambridge University Press, 2026), Professor Gest explores how global migration filters people with liberal democratic values out of authoritarian spaces, contributing to democratic backsliding around the world. He raises important political and policy questions about how democracies might respond to the unintended consequences of global human mobility.

Justin Gest is Professor of Policy and Government at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. His research focuses on immigration and the politics of demographic change.