Trajectories of Populism and Democracy in the Global South: A Comparative Study of Turkey and Brazil

• In Event: Perspectives on Populism

Abstract

As the global discourse on the future of democracy intensifies, this study presents a technique of process tracing within a specific case and comparative analysis of cases, with the aim of elucidating how the existing body of literature on democratic backsliding can shed light on the different trajectories of right-wing populist regimes in Turkey and Brazil. The study seeks to explore the reasons behind the varying degrees of authoritarian populist consolidation attempts, observed in these two countries over the past decade, despite their shared historical experiences of coups, economic development, and political instabilities in the process of democratization and modernization driven by Western models. Selected case studies represent the populists in power and different types of populism, such as Islamist right-wing populism in Turkey and pro-military right-wing populism in the left-wing political trajectory of Brazil when we look at their trajectories in the last decade. The study highlights that polarization and the opposition to civil society and critical thinking serve as catalysts for the consolidation of authoritarian populism in both Turkey and Brazil. However, it is crucial to note that the institutional conditions in Turkey have played a significant role in paving the way for a more pronounced move towards such consolidation, primarily due to the uninterrupted control exerted by authoritarian populists over the legislative, judicial, bureaucratic, political economy, and media realms for the past two decades. It concludes by discussing the theoretical implications and proposing future research avenues concerning the political trajectories of democratic backsliding in Turkey and Brazil.

Author

• Gülşen Doğan, Koç University