‘The Lesser Evil’- Neutralizing Democratic Violations in a Hybrid Regime

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  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Political Processes (Table 18)

Abstract

Populism is often viewed as a threat to liberal democracy, yet it may be a democratizing force in contexts where tutelary powers restrict political freedoms. This paper examines populism in a hybrid regime through the case of Imran Khan in Pakistan- a populist leader in a hybrid regime- and asks: How does support for populism shape citizens’ political attitudes? Interviews with core populist supporters show that they justify the leader’s democratic violations by claiming there was no other choice, the actions did not cause harm, it was for the better or it was someone else’s fault. Hybrid regimes are unsettled contexts where democratic norms remain weakly institutionalized and citizens are democratically ambivalent. Citizen support for populism does not rectify this; rather, discursive justifications for democratic violations weaken accountability, redefine democracy, and reinforce ambivalence. In hybrid regimes such political attitudes are more likely to contribute to sustaining the hybridity of the regime.

Author

• Sumrin Kalia, Free University of Berlin