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Democracy and its Vulnerabilities: Dynamics of Democratic Backsliding

Author

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  • Zhaotian Luo
  • Adam Przeworski

Abstract

The puzzle entailed in erosion of democracy by backsliding — a process in which the incumbent government takes every opportunity to reduce citizens' ability to remove it by democratic means — is how a catastrophic situation can be gradually brought about by steps against which people who would be adversely affected do not react in time. We investigate conditions which render democracy impregnable to backsliding and conditions which make it vulnerable. Democracy is sustainable, free from the threat of backsliding, when opposing politicians are neither very attractive nor very unattractive to citizens. To sustain it, citizens must allow more appealing incumbents to gain some security in office. Backsliding occurs either when citizens knowingly consent to erosion of democracy because they find the incumbent highly appealing or when citizens unconditionally oppose the incumbent, so that the incumbent can remain in office only by backsliding.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhaotian Luo & Adam Przeworski, 2023. "Democracy and its Vulnerabilities: Dynamics of Democratic Backsliding," Quarterly Journal of Political Science, now publishers, vol. 18(1), pages 105-130, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:now:jlqjps:100.00021112
    DOI: 10.1561/100.00021112
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    Cited by:

    1. Delgado-Vega, Álvaro, 2024. "Persistence in power of long-lived parties," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    2. Jack A. Goldstone, 2024. "You can’t always get what you want: why revolutionary outcomes so often diverge from revolutionary goals," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 200(3), pages 457-472, September.
    3. Ernesto Castañeda & Daniel Jenks, 2023. "January 6 th and De-Democratization in the United States," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-15, April.

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