Shaping the best of all possible futures amid insecurity

WE are living in an age of insecurity. Increasingly, the enlightenment values of liberal democracy, liberal economies and a rules-based international system are being repudiated - despite having delivered progress for the vast majority of people.

We see this expressed in our politics. Popular anger and distrust of elites was compounded by the financial crisis, and has led to growing support for nationalist and illiberal politicians. We see it reflected in fears over slowing economic progress in advanced economies, flat-lining productivity and social mobility, and worsening prospects for future generations. And in social policy, we see it in the mounting evidence of declining subjective wellbeing and trust in many countries.

Many argue that these worrying trends are borne of a misunderstanding of the facts. If only the public understood the evidence, they would be persuaded that it is, in Dr Pangloss' terms, "the best of all possible worlds". People tend to be more individually and locally optimistic while being socially and nationally more pessimistic. This is exacerbated and fuelled by trends in media coverage - the tone of which has become more negative over time, exacerbated by changing patterns in how we produce and consume news, and increasing "competition for clicks".