Democratic Regression and Transformation of Contemporary Liberal Democracies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31861/xn9p4z25Keywords:
democracy, democratic backsliding, populism, political polarization, civil society, crisis of democracy, democratic institutions, political regimeAbstract
The article is devoted to studying the essence, causes, and dynamics of contemporary democratic backsliding and the weakening of democratic institutions under the influence of populism, ideological polarization, social inequality, and information manipulation. It has been proven that democratic regression represents a gradual and continuous global process of declining democratic quality, initiated and sustained by elected political leaders. The paper outlines key theoretical approaches to the study of democratic erosion and identifies mechanisms through which deep ideological polarization and populism reinforce party loyalty, reducing citizens’ willingness to support and defend democratic values. It has been determined that these processes are the result of a combination of political-institutional, socio-economic, behavioral, and informational factors.
Democratic decline manifests itself through restrictions on political rights (freedom of speech, assembly, and the press), the rule of law (erosion of free and fair elections, manipulation of electoral systems, reduced accountability of officials), and the system of checks and balances (expansion of executive power, weakening of judicial autonomy, misuse of state resources). The decline of democracy is accompanied by an excessive concentration of power in the hands of the executive branch, a reduction in electoral competition, and a general decline in the effectiveness of democratic mechanisms. The final section outlines strategic directions for strengthening the resilience of liberal democracies through the development of political culture, civic education, and international cooperation aimed at supporting civil society.
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