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Hur auktoritära värderingar försvagar demokratin: Kopplingar mellan politisk kultur och demokratisk nedgång

Bäckström, Einar LU (2021) STVM25 20211
Department of Political Science
Abstract
According to most studies, the global democratic backsliding that started in 2006 cannot be linked to changes in the people's support for democracy. Instead, it is commonly asserted that political cultures around the world are heading in a more democratic direction. I challenge this claim. With combined data from the World Values Survey, the European Values Study, and Varieties of Democracy, I examine potential links between authoritarian changes in the political culture and the weakening of free and fair elections, separation of power, and civil rights. The analysis is based on strict Fixed Effects models examining developments within countries over time.

My findings suggest that indeed, a more positive attitude towards authoritarian... (More)
According to most studies, the global democratic backsliding that started in 2006 cannot be linked to changes in the people's support for democracy. Instead, it is commonly asserted that political cultures around the world are heading in a more democratic direction. I challenge this claim. With combined data from the World Values Survey, the European Values Study, and Varieties of Democracy, I examine potential links between authoritarian changes in the political culture and the weakening of free and fair elections, separation of power, and civil rights. The analysis is based on strict Fixed Effects models examining developments within countries over time.

My findings suggest that indeed, a more positive attitude towards authoritarian leaders, as well as reduced emancipative and secular values, can explain why the separation of power and civil rights has backslid in many countries. The results also imply that electoral quality is more resilient to these types of changes. These findings pose further questions about where and how political cultures are changing, as well as how future authoritarian developments may be countered. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Bäckström, Einar LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVM25 20211
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Democracy, democratic backsliding, political culture, authoritarian values
language
Swedish
id
9044944
date added to LUP
2021-07-06 11:03:59
date last changed
2021-07-06 11:03:59
@misc{9044944,
  abstract     = {{According to most studies, the global democratic backsliding that started in 2006 cannot be linked to changes in the people's support for democracy. Instead, it is commonly asserted that political cultures around the world are heading in a more democratic direction. I challenge this claim. With combined data from the World Values Survey, the European Values Study, and Varieties of Democracy, I examine potential links between authoritarian changes in the political culture and the weakening of free and fair elections, separation of power, and civil rights. The analysis is based on strict Fixed Effects models examining developments within countries over time. 

My findings suggest that indeed, a more positive attitude towards authoritarian leaders, as well as reduced emancipative and secular values, can explain why the separation of power and civil rights has backslid in many countries. The results also imply that electoral quality is more resilient to these types of changes. These findings pose further questions about where and how political cultures are changing, as well as how future authoritarian developments may be countered.}},
  author       = {{Bäckström, Einar}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Hur auktoritära värderingar försvagar demokratin: Kopplingar mellan politisk kultur och demokratisk nedgång}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}