In person icon Studying Democratic Self-Defense in Comparative Perspective

Abstract

Academics and commentators commonly paint a bleak picture of the future of liberal democracy. Many nations worldwide, including those once considered emblematic of democratic governance, such as Brazil and the United States, have experienced populist autocrats in power. Others, like India, Hungary, and Turkey, are already firmly under such regimes. Unlike earlier episodes of democratic decline, today’s democracies collapse slowly. Scholars and practitioners have described this phenomenon as ‘democratic backsliding’, ‘autocratization’ or ‘democratic regression’ and have extensively studied it. However, less emphasis has been placed on countering these trends. This panel seeks to shift the focus from diagnosing the problem to exploring its solutions. Specifically, we propose moving beyond debates about the extent of democratic backsliding to discussions about how democratic regimes and actors can protect themselves. The primary aim of this panel is to foster a much-needed dialogue among scholars working across different countries and regions. In fact, we include papers on Africa, Brazil, the Post-Soviet States, Western Europe and the United States.

Title	Details
Democratic Self-Defense in Africa	View Paper Details
Democratic Self-Defense in Brazil in the Era of Bolsonaro	View Paper Details
Resisting the Black Knight: Democratic Self-Defense in the Post-Soviet States.	View Paper Details
Democratic Self-Defense in Western Europe	View Paper Details
Democratic Self-Defense in the United States: Lessons from an Unlikely Case of Democratic Backsliding	View Paper Details