By María Isabel Puerta Riera A Fragile Democracy As we approach the midterm elections, I find myself reflecting on what almost brought the American experiment to its knees just a few years ago. First off I strongly believe historical context matters. We are simply shortsighted unless we consider the long-term causes of democracy's fragility. The... Continue Reading →
The Authoritarian Appeal in Backsliding Democracies By Dean Schafer Authoritarian Appeal Why do some authoritarian leaders appear to inspire genuine popular support? In the past decade, authoritarian strongmen have won elections in countries as different as Brazil, Hungary, the Philippines, Turkey, and the United States. Electoral autocracies—countries where elections happen, but serious concerns exist about... Continue Reading →
Complications in the Defense of Democracy The Brazilian elections disappointed many advocates for democracy in the world. Many polls showed Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) with a significant lead over Jair Bolsonaro. Some polls even predicted an outright victory in the first round. Lula did come close to a first round victory, however Bolsonaro... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Order Dan Slater and Joseph Wong's From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia. Available for sale this week. Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. Kamala Harris Chooses Partisanship over Democracy Yesterday on Meet the Press, Chuck Todd interviewed Vice President Kamala Harris. Like always, he asked some tough questions. But... Continue Reading →
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 →
