Abstract
A democratic form of government has emerged to become the most sought after
by many countries. There are, however, differences among the countries in
practicing a particular type of democracy. Liberty, equality, elections,
participation in decision-making, and the welfare state are some of the basic
features of a democracy that could be observed almost everywhere.
Contemporary democracies have been facing an assault on the system with
rising anti-democratic tendencies ranging from neo-fascism to authoritarian
populism. Economic distresses constantly repeat themselves, perpetuating such
tendencies furthermore. This paper presents the viewers with the growing trends
of anti-democratic propensities, those which were originally despised as going
against the natural rights of the people. It is observed that restrictions imposed
by State authorities from time to time exhibit their reluctance to be
answerable/accountable to the people who elected them primarily. A broad view
of the impact of various aspects such as misogyny, conservatism, economic
globalization, ethnocentrism by the majority, loss of respect for rule of law,
communication revolutions, emphasis on hierarchy, etc. on political legitimacy
is also discussed. The article ends with suggestions and recommendations for
the leaders to expand their horizons and uphold the true spirit of democracy.
Keywords: Anti-democracy, accountable, political leaders, principles, liberal
Introduction
Modern democracy is representative, participative, liberal, and deliberative. In
simple words, democracy is a type of organization that facilitates a relationship
between the rulers and the ruled. It is a combination of different institutions
having diverse practices producing different results. A wide definition could be
considered to understand democracy, viz., “modern political democracy is a
system of governance in which the rulers are held accountable for their actions
in the public realm by citizens, acting indirectly through the competition and
cooperation of their elected representatives.” Democracy gained its momentum
after the end of World War II and more so, after the disintegration of the
U.S.S.R. Instability and delayed decision-making does prevail in all forms of
government institutions. But that does not necessarily make democracy a weak
or a less favorable form of government. Numerous activities in the
contemporary world are being aimed at attacking the basic principles, and
thereby altering the perceptions of democracy.
Even during the grave public crisis caused by the pandemic, the backsliding of
democracies has been swift and profound. The Democratic States have been
following the suit of authoritarian governments like China and Jordan in
implementing strict lockdowns coupled with rigorous surveillance with the tag
of containing the spread of the virus; canceling elections in countries like
Bolivia; expanding State powers by simultaneously repressing freedom of
speech and other forms of democratic dissent in Hungary, Philippines, the U.K.,
and some African countries. The structure of the paper begins with
understanding the changing democratic tendencies proceeding with the different
factors impacting the ideals of democracy and ending with suggestions to shift
to pro-democracy.
Why the Change?
The success of any form of democracy depends on the people’s ability to be
heard by their leaders and the leaders taking measures to build confidence
among their populations. In the contemporary world, there has been a
continuous breakdown of freedom of speech, free and fair elections,
independence of the judiciary, rule of law, and civil liberties. This institution
undergoes constant change. But contemporary changes are perceived to be
negative and the reasons could be confined mostly to - market revolution, civil
rights revolution, and the digital revolution. John Shattuck has discussed each of
these aspects in detail wherein he observed the market revolution to be
primarily associated with globalization. Though globalization has been
constructive from one viewpoint, it has a hidden dark side such as the
following: job loss, income loss, ethnic conflict, genocide, mass migration, and
growth of populist-nationalist forces all over the world. Civil rights movements
are two-fold. By a first, ethnic, cultural, and other minorities who fear being left
out from the mainstream society or facing exclusion from social benefits began
largescale movements demanding the States to abide by the true spirit of
democracy; and by a second, a counterrevolution by previously dominant
groups who demonstrate anti-democratic tendencies to suppress these
movements and reiterate their supremacy. Digital revolution is often considered
a fundamental vehicle for freedom of expression but unfortunately, it is the
opposite; it is a potential vehicle for totalitarianism. It is found to wear away
equality, privacy, transparency, and freedom of the press. Technology is
compared to a black box that allows people to interact and stay informed, yet it
hides and prevents substantial democratic workings within a country by
allowing private participants to manage and control activities on the internet.
Potential factors impacting democracy
Populism
Populism is the exercise of majoritarian power. This group of people propagates
the idea that liberalism causes weakness in the system causing harm to the
people. Examples range from the 2016 elections held in the U.S.A to the
outright victory of the Czech Republic’s ANO party. The rise in inequalities
around the world due to continuous economic distress has facilitated the rise of
populist leaders endangering liberal governance in its entirety. Bermeo has
observed that the illiberal forces around the world include promissory coups,
election fraud, and executive aggrandizement. Accordingly, promissory coups
are identified as the act of temporary coup-makers in pressuring the government
to improve the democratic order to promote their interests. Such a coup in
Thailand has resulted in a dictatorship while in Lesotho it has substantially
increased civil and political rights. Hence, it is highly variable usually affecting
people’s rights. Executive aggrandizements refer to the executive that has an
unerring majority using legal power to institutionalize only the popular notions.
For example, the President of Turkey who was formerly a premier enacted
several laws that undercut the accountability of political institutions, averted
freedom of media and judiciary. Such arbitrary powers could also be seen in Sri
Lanka, Mozambique, and Ukraine. This force is often engaged in strategically
manipulating elections through hampering media access and voter registration,
changing rules in favor of the ruling party, damaging the image of opponents,
and using law as a measure to escape scrutiny, if any exists.
Misogynist
Most of the political leaders of democracies of the world have been supporting
populist socio-economic measures sustained by prevalent misogynist attitudes,
apart from promoting the masculinist strongman ideals. In India, these can be
seen in delegitimizing women protesting for a cause; in Brazil, suppression of
feminist and LGBTQ+ movements; and other similar action hampering the
development of women. Misogynistic leaders propagate their ideas through
speeches that devalue or objectify women not only because of their gender but
also race, age, ethnicity, and other differences in order to gain popularity and
support. Equal opportunity and equal participation in the socio-political
structure are mostly rejected based on the physiological differences and the
stigma attached to femininity. Political strategy progresses from silencing the
critics and using contradictory policies that appear to favor feminists to
allowing gendered biopolitics. These attributes raise an important question: If
every individual is not allowed to participate in the decision-making process is
it truly a democracy?
Polarization
This is the spread of the ‘Us vs. Them’ attitude among the larger population.
This is furthered by encouraging what is known as ‘hate speech’ by the political
leaders themselves. Countries that allow the incessant spread of disinformation
and witness an increase in populism have been viewed to propagate polarization
as the accepted norm. This aspect has led to the democratization trend
transferring the previously democratic States into autocracies, (e.g., Thailand,
Hungary, etc.). Cancellation of elections or a wide sweep in the conduct of
democratic elections has been hard hit due to these tendencies which ensure that
incumbents stay in power, perpetually. Rule of law and media pluralism has no
significance in these ‘so-called’ democracies. What is scarier is the potential
impact that such countries have over the prevailing liberal democracies as well.
These tendencies are proof of democracy being in danger.
Conclusion
Liberal democracy is about civic engagement, self-correction, and solidarity. It
has been popular for a long-time but its relevance in today’s world is widely
tested. Populist leaders are consumed by power. It is perceived that further
deterioration will happen in no time. Public discourse occurs when there is a
threat to the way of life of a group of people, whether majority or otherwise.
This results in conflict and eventually, instability. Democracy is about
compromise, cooperation, and accommodation of ideals of different groups of
people by displaying empathy and commitment towards the population, which
is done by the States could regain a more peaceful world respecting equality.
New and improved methods of conflict resolution in line with democratic
principles need to be evolved. People cannot be blinded for long. The true side
of illiberal democratic notions i.e., desire for power among the cult of
authoritarians will surface sooner or later that would instigate people to demand
changes in the governance structure; and when that happens violently, it might
not be a good color on the leaders. Indifference to all and any imposition by
majoritarian governments is no longer an option. Democracy begins at home. It
needs to be inculcated and fed into every individual. All public and private
institutions should be mandated to promote democratic standards of co-
existence. These policies would ensure the active participation of adults in the
democratic processes locally as well as regionally. Democratic backsliding
could only be prevented by the strong civic engagement that could probably
repair the faults.
- Sasmitha Kumaravadivel, Research Intern, Stambh Organization India