Become a Patron! Preorder Laura Gamboa’s new book Resisting Backsliding: Opposition Strategies against the Erosion of Democracy here. Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. President Biden and the Soul of the Nation Last night President Joe Biden gave a 24 minute speech that warned about the current assault on American democracy. He directed his... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Preorder Laura Gamboa's Resisting Backsliding: Opposition Strategies against the Erosion of Democracy here. When the Law Legitimizes Democratic Backsliding Typically we think democratic breakdowns involve coups or civil wars. However, democratic erosion "happens over time. It takes years for an executive with hegemonic aspirations to succeed in eroding democracy." Moreover, democratic backsliding frequently happens... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Preorder Laura Gamboa's Resisting Backsliding: Opposition Strategies against the Erosion of Democracy here. When Opposition Strategies Become Undemocratic On the most recent podcast, Laura Gamboa emphasizes the role of democratic oppositions to pursue meaningful strategies to fight against democratic backsliding. Implicit in her analysis is the fear of overly aggressive strategies that become... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Preorder Laura Gamboa's Resisting Backsliding: Opposition Strategies against the Erosion of Democracy here. Resisting Indifference to Democracy The consolidation of democracy in so many countries has brought about an indifference to democracy. Most citizens take for granted democracy exists so long as elections remain relatively free and fair. They do not worry about... Continue Reading →
Laura Gamboa is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Utah. She is the author of the forthcoming book Resisting Backsliding: Opposition Strategies against the Erosion of Democracy. Become a Patron! Preorder Laura Gamboa's new book Resisting Backsliding: Opposition Strategies against the Erosion of Democracy here. There's always another set of elections.... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Preorder Laura Gamboa's Resisting Backsliding: Opposition Strategies against the Erosion of Democracy here. How to Resist Democratic Backsliding Laura Gamboa makes bold claims in a new book on democratic backsliding. The past few years have seen an explosion in the number of books on democratic decline and breakdown. Scholars have already made... Continue Reading →
Kim Lane Scheppele is the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs and the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. Become a Patron! So, I came back from that trip and said to one of my good friends back in Budapest, ‘I think I've met the most dangerous person I've... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Faux Democracy "Misappropriation of the word is a testament to democracy's appeal," write Sarah Repucci and Amy Slipowitz in the recent Freedom in the World Report. The current democratic recession is different from those in the past. During previous autocratic waves, opponents of democracy openly attacked democratic governance. Both monarchists and fascists saw... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Democracy on Autopilot Lately my mind regularly drifts to a quote from the new book from Dan Slater and Joseph Wong. They write, "Democracy doesn’t 'just happen' as a matter of course with a society’s modernization; rather, real people need to make risky decisions that have vital implications for democracy’s fate." It... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Democratization and Democratic Backsliding The recent episode with Michael Coppedge touched on an interesting idea. The causes for democratization might be distinct from the causes for its decline. Coppedge notes the idea is not new. Dankwart Rustow made this argument in an influential paper called, "Transitions to Democracy: Toward a Dynamic Model."... Continue Reading →
