Background: By now, you are familiar with democratic backsliding in Hungary and Peru. You have a good understanding of how Victor Orbán and Alberto Fujimori circumvented checks and balances, undermined democratic institutions, and consolidated power in their hands. Now, you are going to pick a third case of democratic backsliding. I am going to provide a list for you after these instructions, but if you want to use a case outside of the list I’ve provided you, please let me know via email. In a 1,000-1,500 word paper, you are going to tell me how democratic backsliding differed across these cases as well as why. You’ll need to make a claim, an argument for why democratic backsliding happens as well as when. You will also have to explain why democratic backsliding looks the same, or similarly, in different cases.
Choose one of the cases below:
Poland under the Law and Justice Party
Turkey under Erdogan
Venezuela under Chávez and/or Maduro
India under Modi
El Salvador under Nayib Bukele
Ethiopia under Abiy Ahmed and the Prosperity Party
Introduce me to your case. Why is it a case of democratic backsliding? Did a political party assume control of state-run media? Were rules about how political parties could run changed? Was the military put under partisan control? Was judicial independence changed or undermined? Legislative independence? Was the constitution rewritten? What other anti-democratic changes have taken place since your leader/political party took control of your country?
Explain why democratic backsliding has taken place? What were the conditions which led to voters/publics supporting these leaders?
To what extent has democratic backsliding been successful? Are there political parties that are still able to participate in opposition to the leader/party? Are the rules governing elections still free and fair? Has the public been fully sold on an authoritarian agenda? Why or why not?
How much does your case remind you of Hungary and Peru? How are they different, how are they similar?
