Knowra Democratic backsliding Democratic backsliding Democratic backsliding is the gradual weakening of democratic institutions, norms, and protections, often through actions by elected leaders that erode constraints on power.
Executive aggrandizement : The gradual expansion of executive power at the expense of legislatures, courts, and other accountability institutions. It describes a common route by which elected leaders weaken checks on their authority.
Hungary under Viktor Orbán : Hungary’s political transformation under Viktor Orbán, whose governments reshaped institutions and constrained independent checks. It is a prominent case of sustained institutional change within an EU member state.
Democratic breakdown : The collapse of a democratic regime, often through a coup or another abrupt seizure of power. Unlike backsliding, breakdown usually marks a more sudden end to democratic government.
Liberal democracy : A democratic system combining competitive elections with civil liberties, rule of law, and constraints on government power. Backsliding can weaken its liberal protections while elections continue.
Political polarization : The widening division of political groups into opposing camps with increasingly incompatible identities or preferences. Polarization can weaken restraint when opponents are treated as threats rather than legitimate rivals.
Autocratization : A process in which a political regime becomes less democratic and more autocratic. It names the broader regime change that backsliding can produce.
Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan : Turkey’s political transformation under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, marked by executive consolidation and restrictions on opposition. It illustrates how electoral politics can coexist with declining institutional constraints.
Democratic consolidation : The process by which democracy becomes broadly accepted and its institutions become stable and resilient. It is the stabilizing process that backsliding reverses.
Rule of law : The principle that public power is exercised under general, public laws applied by independent institutions. Its decline allows governments to use law selectively against opponents.
Civil liberties : Individual freedoms protected from unjustified government interference, including expression, association, and due process. Their restriction directly narrows the space for opposition and public criticism.
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