Disaster movies and the depiction of the executive in times of crisis: can liberal institutions save the world? Independence Day (1996), Deep Impact (1998), and The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Disaster movies made around the turn of the millennium, far from demonstrating the current skepticism that sees freedom as hindering crisis management, portray liberal institutions as capable of confronting and overcoming catastrophes threatening humanity. If freedom is necessarily limited during these periods of crisis, it is also an indispensable asset when it comes to resolving them. However, it remains important that these democracies do not turn to populism.