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Virtual Panel: The Military and Democratic Backsliding

Comparative Politics
Conflict
Democracy
Democratisation
Security
Political Regime
V518
Aurel Croissant
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Carmen Wintergerst
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
David Kuehn
German Institute for Global And Area Studies

Abstract

This panel examines the military’s role in contemporary democratic backsliding. Combining cross-regional comparison and in-depth case studies, it explores how armed forces shape regime trajectories through diverse modes of involvement from guardianship to direct intervention. Conceptually, it rethinks civil–military relations under gradual autocratization; theoretically, it links military behavior to broader dynamics of democratic decay and breakdown; empirically, it integrates qualitative evidence with cross-national datasets to explain variation in roles and outcomes. The panel advances debates on regime transformation, key actors in autocratization, and the evolving architecture of civil–military relations in the twenty-first century.

Title Details
Beyond the Coup D’état: Military Roles in Democratic Backsliding Since the Cold War View Paper Details
The Domestic Use of Military Force and Democratization in the United States View Paper Details
Best Practices for Military Professionals When Civilians Violate Civil-Military Norms View Paper Details
Explaining Military Behavior During Self-Coups View Paper Details
Dynamic Pathways of Military Behaviour Within Episodes of Democratic Backsliding View Paper Details