Democratic Decline and Competitive Authoritarianism

Flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on democratic decline, competitive authoritarianism, and related political phenomena.

Competitive Authoritarianism

A regime type where democratic institutions exist and are formally respected, but incumbents abuse their state power to disadvantage opponents and retain office.

Populism

A political approach that appeals to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups.

Ethnonationalism

Moblization of sentiments often linked with populist appeals against an outside or minority group, contributing to the rise of authoritarian regimes with mass public support.

Examples of Competitive Authoritarian Regimes

Hungary (under Orban), The Philippines (under Duterte), Turkey (under Erdogan), and Venezuela (under Chavez) during its early authoritarian phase.

Levitsky and Wayne's Concern

The emergence of subtle authoritarian strategies and effective nationalist/populist discourses that build majority support, indicating competitive authoritarianism is thriving and inching westward.

Third Wave of Democratization

A period, especially after the collapse of communism in the 1990s, characterized by widespread transitions to democracy and an optimistic belief in its universal form.

Reverse Wave (against democratization)

A term describing the recent trend of democratic decline and autocratization in many countries over the last couple of decades.

Arab Spring

A wave of pro-democracy protests and uprisings that spread across the Middle East starting in 2009, which largely 'fell flat' and did not sustain democratizing efforts, except initially in Tunisia.

'How Democracies Die'

An influential book by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt which analyzes how democracies decline and die, often through executive takeovers rather than military coups.

Autocratization

A trend where autocracies become more autocratic, and democracies become less democratic, leading to fewer countries moving in a democratizing direction.

VDEM (Varieties of Democracy)

An institute that uses nuanced metrics to analyze trends in democracy, noting declining freedom of expression, rising disinformation, and increasing polarization.

Disinformation

The use of faulty claims and outright lies by political leaders to confuse the public and promote divisions, observed as a rising trend in democratic decline.

Polarization

The increasing political distance and antagonism between different sides of the political spectrum (left and right), with fewer people in the middle, seen as significant in the demise of democracies.

Traditional Democratic Death

Historically, the most common way democracies died was through military takeovers or 'coup d'etats,' which have become less common since 1999.

Executive Takeover / Executive Engrandizement

The contemporary process of democratic backsliding, where an elected leader gradually over years uses their office to build support for an authoritarian system, often with public support.

Horizontal Modes of Accountability

Governmental checks on executive power, such as the legislative branch and courts, which are often targeted and undermined during an executive takeover.

Diagonal Modes of Accountability

Nongovernmental entities like civil society, media, and academia that ensure free exchange of ideas and push back against those in power, often undermined during democratic decline.

Vertical Modes of Accountability

The final stage of executive takeover, involving the manipulation of the electoral process (e.g., changing rules, gerrymandering) to make it harder for the public to hold politicians accountable.

Strong Partisan Attachments

When people prioritize their party winning over upholding democratic norms, making them more willing to overlook violations of those norms by their chosen candidates.

Aspiring Autocrats (Success Condition)

Succeed in subverting democracy only when given the opportunity by a 'factious public,' implying public support or acquiescence is crucial in modern democratic decline.

Factors for Democratic Decline

Include declining Western hegemony, globalization leading to economic inequality and pushback against international bodies, immigration/migration, diffusion of 'playbooks,' and populism.

Presidentialism (in resisting autocratization)

May be helpful in obstructing autocratization due to inherent checks and balances, in contrast to parliamentary systems where supermajorities can easily amend constitutions and consolidate power.

Wealthy Countries and Autocracy

Wealthier countries with long-standing free institutions, decentralized economies, and broad civil societies tend to resist autocracy more effectively, making consolidation of control difficult.

Peter Magyar

An opposition challenger in Hungary who, despite Orban's populist strategies, has gained significant public support by focusing on 'bread and butter' economic and social issues, illustrating potential for pushback against competitive authoritarianism.