Democratic Commitment

Overview & Synopsis

Why do citizens often fail to resist democratic backsliding? This book claims that political culture is key to explaining the electoral success and enduring public support for authoritarian-leaning leaders despite their open violations of democratic standards. It posits that heterogeneous understandings of democracy and a lack of liberal democratic commitment leave important parts of the electorate vulnerable to buy-outs and illiberal appeals by political elites. Leveraging a mixed-methods design, the book presents extensive empirical analyses that combine focus groups, discourse analysis, and original survey data including two conjoint experiments in Hungary and Poland. Its findings show how, despite widespread generic support for democracy as a regime form, divergent understandings of democracy persist among citizens in both countries. Establishing the linkages between political culture and political behaviour, this monograph demonstrates the crucial role citizens’ democratic attitudes play in enabling the deepening and entrenchment of democratic backsliding. Its findings hold important implications for practical efforts to bolster democratic resilience and boost mass support for liberal democracy.