Democratic Backsliding & Populism (Week 11)

Vocabulary flashcards cover key terms from the Week 11 lecture on democratic backsliding, measurement tools, and the rise of populism.

Democratic backsliding

The erosion of democratic institutions and practices, reflected in declining scores on measures of civil liberties, political rights, and the quality of elections.

Luhrmann et al.

Authors of the article 'Is Democracy on the Decline?' arguing that recent global democratic decline is moderate and concentrated in specific countries and domains.

V-Dem Project

The Varieties of Democracy initiative that uses expert surveys to rate countries on multiple dimensions of democracy, allowing distinction between real and fake democracies.

Expert survey (in V-Dem)

Method in which five country experts evaluate democratic qualities, later aggregated into a composite score.

Freedom House

An organization producing annual estimates of civil liberties and political rights, often converted to a 100-point scale to track democratization.

Electoral democracy decline (2011-2016)

Period marked by lower freedom and fairness of elections, intimidation of opposition, restricted media perspectives, and practices like voter-ID laws and gerrymandering.

Gerrymandering

Manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor a particular party, cited as contributing to U.S. democratic decline.

Media self-censorship

When journalists limit their own reporting due to real or perceived pressures, undermining the range of perspectives available to voters.

Flawed democracy

A state that holds regular elections but exhibits significant weaknesses in civil liberties, media freedom, or rule of law—label sometimes applied to the contemporary United States.

Populism

A political approach claiming legitimate authority derives from the will of 'the people,' often opposing elites and, in nationalist forms, prioritizing traditional lifestyles over minority rights.

Populist-nationalist forces

Movements combining populist rhetoric with nationalist themes, challenging pluralism, social tolerance, and rule of law.

Majority rule (in populism)

A principle emphasized by populists asserting that the majority’s will should override institutional constraints—even at the cost of civil liberties.

Checks and balances

Institutional mechanisms meant to restrain executive power; their failure can accelerate democratic backsliding when authoritarian-leaning leaders are elected.

Civil liberties

Fundamental rights and freedoms (e.g., speech, religion) whose erosion signals democratic decline.

‘Gloomy commentary’ on democracy

Public discourse arguing that democracy is in crisis—questioned by Luhrmann et al., who see trends as less catastrophic.

Freedom and fairness of elections

Core component of electoral democracy assessing whether voters can choose among parties without coercion or fraud.

Democratic vigilance

The practice of actively monitoring and opposing backsliding to preserve democratic norms and institutions.

Terror-linked public anxieties

Fears stirred by sporadic domestic attacks that can bolster support for illiberal, security-focused policies and populist leaders.