Why masses support democratic backsliding
American Journal of Political Science,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: March 23, 2025
Abstract
Concerns
over
democratic
backsliding
have
proliferated
recently,
as
elected
politicians
sought
to
undermine
checks
and
balances.
This
study
examines
the
underpinnings
of
public
support
for
backsliding,
delineating
five
theoretical
explanations:
personalistic
leadership,
affective
polarization,
populism,
majoritarianism,
entanglement
with
legal
system.
We
test
explanatory
power
these
accounts
within
Israeli
context,
leveraging
panel
survey
data
collected
before
after
government
announced
its
plan
curtail
courts.
Results
indicate
that
is
best
explained
by
two
forces:
prior
attachment
leader
heading
effort
animosity
toward
partisan
opponents.
Notably,
populist
attitudes
are
not
associated
government's
plan.
The
framework
longitudinal
research
design
help
explain
who
supports
backsliding.
Language: Английский
The political communication of polarizing leaders. Evidence from Italy
Contemporary Italian Politics,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
unknown, P. 1 - 20
Published: June 6, 2024
Language: Английский
Polarization and Partitioning Representation: How an Overlooked Aspect of Contemporary Democracy Leads to Polarizing Societies
Sociology Compass,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
18(10)
Published: Sept. 28, 2024
ABSTRACT
Polarization
within
Western
societies
escalates,
as
citizens
increasingly
distrust
their
governments
and
disagree
with
one
another
in
an
emotional
way.
Departing
from
a
literature
devoid
of
ideas
to
break
this
destructive
trend,
paper
presents
novel
approach:
While
have
evolved—becoming
more
diverse,
individualized,
interconnected—democratic
systems
remained
unchanged,
hence
rooted
outdated
structures.
This
misalignment
drives
the
rise
political
polarization.
Through
comprehensive
review
data
across
OECD
countries,
states
generality
polarization
problem,
U.S.
only
severest
example.
It
introduces
concept
‘partitioning
representation’
representing
individuals
parts
non‐overlapping
subsets
society,
form
that
fitted
bygone
era
geographically
socially
partitioned
communities.
The
identifies
three
mechanisms
through
which
disjunction
between
traditional
representation
contemporary
individualization
leads
polarization:
disconnection
voters
process,
intra‐party
dynamics
favor
radicalization,
perverse
incentives
for
media
actors.
Ultimately,
breaking
cycle
requires
rethinking
how
can
work
world
no
longer
conforms
past.
calls
new
forms
doing
politics,
empowering
engage
meaningfully
process
restoring
capacity
collective
problem‐solving
is
essential
democratic
resilience
approach
usefully
called
‘civil
democracy’.
Language: Английский
Christian nationalism and support for leaders violating democratic norms during national emergencies
Politics and Religion,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
unknown, P. 1 - 24
Published: Sept. 19, 2024
Abstract
During
national
emergencies,
democratically
elected
leaders
have
sought
to
expand
executive
power
in
ways
that
violate
democratic
norms,
ostensibly
guide
their
nation
through
crisis.
Drawing
from
research
on
backsliding,
we
anticipate
support
for
such
privileges
may
stem
different
ideological
and
contextual
factors,
but
primarily
inclinations
toward
ethno-nationalistic
authoritarian
populism.
We
propose
American
Christian
nationalism
represent
inclinations.
Analyses
of
nationally
representative
data
reveal
is
the
strongest
predictor
Americans
believe
unspecified
“national
emergencies”
might
require
suspend
elections,
suppress
political
opponents,
disregard
checks
balances.
However,
disinterest,
stronger
Democratic
partisanship,
being
Black
(vs.
White)
are
also
positively
associated
with
violating
these
associations
amplified
by
nationalism.
Ancillary
analyses
suggest
interactions
race
party
be
contextual,
due
a
President
office
at
time
survey.
Findings
populist
impulses
characteristic
combine
disinterest
(perhaps
reflecting
disillusionment)
threats
in-group
increase
suspending
norms
during
crises.
Language: Английский
Can Deliberative Democracy Provide Remedies for Affective Polarisation?
Political Studies Review,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Dec. 18, 2024
This
article
revisits
the
problems
of
electoral
democracy,
especially
affective
polarisation,
from
perspective
theory
deliberative
democracy.
Some
authors
representing
‘realist’
views
democracy
have
concluded
that
empirical
findings
regarding
polarisation
challenge
not
just
idea
representative
as
responsive
government
but
also
prospects
for
We
point
out
certain
and
limitations
in
this
conclusion
discuss
how
theories
might
actually
help
find
remedies
polarisation.
apply
a
recent
distinction
by
Hartman
et
al.
an
intermediate-level
conceptualisation
helps
translate
into
practices.
To
illustrate
potential
practices,
we
analyse
forums
citizen
deliberation
such
mini-publics
could
counteract
reflect
on
strengths
weaknesses
systemic
perspective.
Language: Английский