Democratic Breakdown & Backsliding
11 important questions on Democratic Breakdown & Backsliding
Democratic breakdown is nothing really new. Explain?
- Antiquity: Athens & Rome
- First and Second French Republic (both by Napoleon)
Each wave of democratization, comes according to Huntington also with a ...
Democratic backsliding can happen due to exo- and endogenous shocks. Explain?
- Exogenous shocks: economic crisis, terrorist attacks ...
- Endogenous shocks: (Ethnic) polarization, inequal wealth distribution, demographic change ...
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Why is democratic backsliding appealing with exo- and endogenous shocks?
- Restore order
- Quick solulu's
Do the United States experience exo- or endogenous shocks in their democratic backsliding?
- Stacked racial, sexual, geographic and cultural identities
- (Social) media bubbles
- Status anxiety
- ...
What is the difference between an electorate and a selectorate?
- Electorate
- Democracy
- Selectorate (rich oligarchs)
- Autocracy
Wealth is more stable and secure in a democracy. However, there is only ONE class that has absolutely nothing to lose in an autocracy.
Which class is that?
The middle class does have something to lose, because an autocracy also protects the (little amount of) wealth they have.
On what do the agency-based approaches of democratic backsliding focus on?
- Focus on the actions of specific leaders
- Anti-democratic rhetoric, commitment to democratic norms, incentive to stay in power
- Example: Trump and the US elections of 2020.
How does institutional tinkering help democratic backsliding?
- Design flaws in democracy
- Difficult to amend constitutions
- Political appointment of judges
- Political involvement in electoral system
- Accumulated erosion of democratic institutions?
- Judiciary, media ownership, filibuster ...
What does colonial and military inheritments have to do with democratic backsliding?
- Colonial inheritmens
- Military inheritments
- Maybe there are just more behaviour-thingies from the past that are still working in the present.
Which regime-type is more robust for democratization?
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