And what do you think about freedom?

The existence of the liberal script, an interplay of liberal democracy, capitalism, individual self-determination and an open society, depends on its acceptance by the population. But how can such attitudes be measured? This question is explored by political scientist Heiko Giebler, who conducts research at the Cluster of Excellence Contestations of the Liberal Script (SCRIPTS).

After a brief period of euphoria following the fall of the Soviet Union, the liberal script is under increasing pressure today. Liberal democracies and societies increasingly face internal and external challenges – as in the United States, Hungary, and Brazil – or are being undermined by neoliberal economic structures. The liberal script seems to have reached the limits of its capacity.

But is this thesis of decline correct? Or is the backing of liberal orders around the world greater than thought after all? And what aspects make up the liberal script in the first place? In the Meet the Scientist series, Heiko Giebler provides insights into the acceptance of the liberal script among the populations of different countries and how it can be measured at all. As director of the comparative study Public Attitudes toward the Liberal Scripts (PALS), he shows how survey research is conducted on a global scale – and what the data can tell us about the future of our democracies and societies.