New Books Network Democratic Dialogues: Pathways of Democratic Backsliding, Resistance, and (Partial) Recoveries
Oct 28, 2025
Kenneth Roberts, a comparative political scientist, and Jennifer McCoy, a scholar of polarization, along with political scientist Murat Somer, delve into the complexities of democratic backsliding. They discuss how democracies erode through various pathways and the importance of institutional and societal resistance. Key topics include the role of civil society in pushing back against autocracy, strategies for building inclusive coalitions, and the impacts of pernicious polarization. Their insights spotlight not only the challenges but also the potential for recovery in imperfect democracies.
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Recoveries Are Fragile And Jointly Driven
- Democratic recoveries are often tentative, fragile, and incomplete after backsliding.
- Effective recovery usually requires simultaneous resistance within institutions and civil society, which reinforce each other.
Build Broad Coalitions To Resist
- Build broad collective action across parties, civic groups, businesses, and local governments to resist backsliding.
- Unite sectors to prevent rulers from dividing opposition and consolidating power.
Match Strategy To The Backsliding Pathway
- Match resistance strategies to the pathway of backsliding: act fast through institutions for executive grabs and mobilize electorally for legislative capture.
- Tailor framing to challenge the incumbent's claim to legitimacy tied to each pathway.