Democratic Breakdown and Erosion: The Role of Political Parties and Elections

Session Submission Type: Full Paper Panel

Session Description

Democratic breakdown and erosion emerge as key challenge of the 21st century. By now, democratization is being reversed in a range of countries across the globe including Turkey, Hungary, Poland and Brazil. This panel explores the role of political parties, elections and other institutions for democratic breakdown and erosion. Frantz, Kendall-Taylor and Wright investigate how personalist political parties contribute to democratic breakdown. Relatedly, Casal Bertoa, Enyedi and Molder address the role of political party system stability for democracy in Europe. Medzihorsky, Lührmann and Lindberg study under which conditions elections may contribute to autocratization. Maxwell, Wilson and Lindberg assess how the process of liberalization shapes the potential of democratization success or failure.

Sub Unit

• DIVISION 44: Comparative Democratization

Individual Presentations

• Autocratization by Elections: Arena or Trigger of Democratic Decline? - Juraj Medzihorsky, University of Gothenburg; Anna Luehrmann, University of Gothenburg; Staffan I. Lindberg, V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg

• Cutting Both Ways: Party System Stability and Democracy in Europe - Fernando Casal Bertoa, University of Nottingham; Zsolt Enyedi, Central European University; Martin Mölder

• Failing Sequences of Democratization: Insights from the Domination Method - Laura Maxwell, University of Gothenburg; Matthew Charles Wilson, University of South Carolina; Staffan I. Lindberg, V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg

Chair

• Anna Luehrmann University of Gothenburg

Discussants

• Barbara Geddes University of California, Los Angeles

• Milan Svolik Yale University