Class 4 - Democratic Decline

Question 1

What are the two situations that fall under the umbrella of democratic decline?

Answer 1

1. Democratic regression
   - From liberal democracy to illiberal democracy
2. Democratic breakdown
   - From lib dem to autocracy
   - From illib dem to autocracy

Question 2

How are illiberal and liberal democracies contrasted (in terms of political rights and civil liberties)?

Answer 2

Liberal = CL + PR
Illiberal = PR

Question 3

What is the difference between democratic decline and the crisis of democracy (the previous week’s topic)?

Answer 3

Crisis of democracy
-micro-perspective
- mostly driven by societal factors

includes
-> crisis of legitimacy
-> crisis of efficiency

Democratic decline
- macro-perspective
- mostly driven by elites

Question 4

Symptoms of democratic decline (4)

Answer 4

• limitations on free and fair elections
• limitations of political rights
• limitations of civil liberties
• limitations of the rule of law
• other

Question 5

What are the two perspectives on the data on democratic decline?

Answer 5

1. Pessimistic version (Diamond)
   - 3rd reverse way of democratisation after 2008
   - strong regional fluctuations
   - between 1979 and 2000: 29% of all democracies regressed
2. Optimistic version (Levitsky & Way)
   - stabilisation and equilibrium
   - resilience of democracy

Question 6

What leads to the two perspectives on democratic decline?

Answer 6

The two perspectives: optimistic / pessimistic

Quantitative differences
- measurements
- external coders
- choice of data sets

Qualitative differences
- unrealistic expectations after 1990 (‘the end of history’ - Fukuyama)
- authoritarian opening is not the same as democratisation
- anecdotal evidence and inference from individual case studies

Question 7

Is democratic decline problematic?

Answer 7

• democratic breakdown is problematic
• democratic regression is not necessarily problematic

Question 8

What are (5) causes of democratic decline?

Answer 8

• economic conditions
• social conditions
• political conditions
• historical conditions
• globalization

Question 9

Solutions for the democratic decline (politics level)?

Answer 9

• constitutional reform
• electoral reform
• strengthen balance of power (parliamentary control, judiciary independence)
• increase transparency -> e-voting
• federalism
• political renewal

Question 10

Solutions for the democratic decline (Society level)?

Answer 10

• strengthen independent media
• strengthen social media regulation
• str civic education
• str internal democracy monitoring
• str multilateralism and international cooperation