Countering Illiberalism in Liberal Democracies: Actors, Strategies, Temporalities

• In Event: Learning from Global Democratic Challenges and Innovations Mini-Conference I: Countering Illiberalism in Liberal Democracies I: Constitutional Perspectives

Abstract

Most literature on democratic backsliding in liberal democracies focuses on the erosion of democratic rights and institutions. Less systematic attention has been paid to how pro-democracy actors can respond to illiberal threats, especially in the short-term. This paper lays the foundations for a research agenda on the conditions under which illiberals can be successfully countered. It discusses the use of formal, informal, and mobilization strategies in different scenarios, with illiberals in power (resistance) or in opposition (containment and prevention), focusing on how the timing of intervention against illiberals exposes pro-democratic actors to different tradeoffs and dilemmas. It articulates how early intervention against illiberals may have a higher chance of success in different scenarios and diffusion can make the related tradeoffs easier to navigate in some circumstances. Finally, the paper outlines specific priorities for future empirical research and lays out how they are addressed in the articles in this volume.

Author

• Giovanni Capoccia, University of Oxford