Democratic Backsliding
Explore democratic backsliding — the gradual erosion of democratic institutions and norms that threatens democracies worldwide in the 21st century.
Democratic backsliding — the gradual weakening of democratic institutions, norms, and practices — has emerged as one of the 21st century's most concerning political trends. Unlike the military coups that toppled democracies in the past, modern backsliding typically occurs slowly and legally, as elected leaders erode checks on their power through constitutional changes, media manipulation, and attacks on judicial independence.
The pattern is remarkably consistent across countries. Leaders who come to power through democratic elections gradually undermine the institutions that constrain them: packing courts, restricting press freedom, changing electoral rules to favor incumbents, using state resources for partisan advantage, and demonizing opposition as enemies of the nation. Hungary under Viktor Orbán, Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and similar trajectories in Poland, India, Brazil, and elsewhere have followed this playbook.
Freedom House has documented 18 consecutive years of global democratic decline. The trend has multiple causes: the failure of democracies to deliver economic prosperity for all, the disruptions of globalization and technological change, the weaponization of social media, and the decline of trust in institutions. Understanding democratic backsliding is essential because it represents a threat not from democracy's traditional enemies but from within democratic systems themselves.