Reassessing the cultural foundation of democracy after the third wave of democratisation: toward an integrative approach

Abstract This study proposes an integrative typology of popular support for democracy by combining acceptance of democracy, rejection of authoritarianism, and understanding of democracy. Applying the typology to waves 5 (2005–2008) and 7 (2017–2022) of the World Values Survey, the study reassesses the cultural legitimacy of democracy across 30 countries in five regions. Empirically, it reveals that public support for democracy has significantly weakened over the last two decades, especially in non-Western countries. Analytically, it shows that additional qualifications for democratic citizenship demonstrate relations between citizens’ support for democracy and the level of liberal democracy, partially confirming the congruence thesis of political culture. Substantially, these results suggest that democratic backsliding and authoritarian change are more severe and rapid in non-Western countries than in Western democracies.