Political Institutions under Authoritarianism and Democratic Backsliding Regimes: a Comparative Session from Singapore and Poland
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Department
Political Science
Major
Political Science
Abstract
Since 2016, an increasing number of countries have experienced democratic backsliding. More than a quarter of the worldwide population now live in countries with regressive democracies. In the countries witnessing this transition, how does the ruling party use democratic mechanisms to gain legitimacy while maintaining social order? Do those countries mirror the practices of more mature authoritarian systems? In this comparative case study, I use Singapore as a model of a mature authoritarian regime, and Poland as a regime in transition. The purpose of the study is to examine if the rising authoritarian state uses the same mechanisms as a mature authoritarian state to gain legitimacy. I look specifically at electoral manipulation, restrictions on media freedom, and a weakening of the power of the judiciary. The results show that the rising authoritarian regime (Poland) used similar strategies to consolidate power with those used in Singapore.
Faculty Mentor
Chris Soper
Funding Source or Research Program
Political Science Honors Program
Start Date
25-3-2022 3:15 PM
End Date
25-3-2022 3:30 PM
Political Institutions under Authoritarianism and Democratic Backsliding Regimes: a Comparative Session from Singapore and Poland
Since 2016, an increasing number of countries have experienced democratic backsliding. More than a quarter of the worldwide population now live in countries with regressive democracies. In the countries witnessing this transition, how does the ruling party use democratic mechanisms to gain legitimacy while maintaining social order? Do those countries mirror the practices of more mature authoritarian systems? In this comparative case study, I use Singapore as a model of a mature authoritarian regime, and Poland as a regime in transition. The purpose of the study is to examine if the rising authoritarian state uses the same mechanisms as a mature authoritarian state to gain legitimacy. I look specifically at electoral manipulation, restrictions on media freedom, and a weakening of the power of the judiciary. The results show that the rising authoritarian regime (Poland) used similar strategies to consolidate power with those used in Singapore.