What question did this study set out to answer?

The main goal is to understand how elected officials contribute to the erosion of democracy.

March 21, 2026

Why Elected Leaders Subvert Democracy

Key Points

The main goal is to understand how elected officials contribute to the erosion of democracy.
Literature review of contemporary political frameworks
Analysis of economic factors affecting democracies
Examination of case studies on right-wing and left-populist movements
Democratic erosion predominantly stems from actions of elected leaders rather than military interventions.
High levels of inequality and economic globalization create opportunities for radical political movements.
Both right-wing and left-populist leaders weaken key democratic institutions, such as the press and courts.

Abstract

Abstract: This essay argues that the main contemporary threat to democracy is not military coups but democratic erosion led by elected officials. Economic globalization, party-system realignment, and especially high inequality created openings for right-wing ethnonationalists in advanced democracies and left-populists in the Global South. Though ideologically different, democratic erosion from both right-wing ethnonationalists and left-populists often weaken courts, the press, civil society, and electoral accountability. Inequality fuels grievance, distrust, and polarization, which backsliding leaders exploit through divisive rhetoric and attacks on institutions. Democratic decline can be resisted through coordinated action by opposition elites, civil society, courts, and voters.

Perguntar à IA

Bookmark