Citizens, institutions, and democratic backsliding

Abstract

This special issue presents recent research on the causes of democratic backsliding, whereby liberal-democratic institutions are gradually undermined by democratically elected governments. The contributions include literature reviews that synthesize key findings as well as new theoretical perspectives and empirical analyses. This introduction presents a stylized model that integrates two strands of research: a citizen-centered perspective and an institutional perspective. Although the roles of citizens and institutions are rarely examined together, integrating them promises a more comprehensive understanding of the causes of democratic backsliding. The introduction concludes by discussing the contributions of the individual articles and their place within the stylized model.