The End of Democracy? Global Trends of Democratic Erosion and Cases of Persistence

Abstract

Democracy is not as stable as it once was. Confidence in the democratic system was established in the post-1989 world following the fall of the Soviet Union. However, studies indicate that this confidence has withered over the last quarter century as democratic regimes struggle to confront a rapidly globalizing world. As time passes, democratic systems seem less likely to universalize, and more likely to backslide. This report identifies four key components of democratic erosion. At the base of democratic erosion are citizen attitudes . In increasing numbers, the populations of democratic nations are becoming more open to authoritarian-populist alternatives to democracy. Though not strictly democratic, gatekeeping institutions such as political parties and establishment media organizations have failed to filter out extremist candidates in recent years who make use of those ideologies. At the level of the political elite, adherence to de facto democratic norms is waning. As political polarization escalates, leaders of opponent parties abandon practices of mutual toleration. Consequently, these politicians discard forbearance, resorting to extreme legal measures in order to defeat their political adversaries. Freedom of expression has also suffered a series of defeats as democratic governments respond to public criticism with increasing severity, attempting to suppress free speech, assembly, and press.