Political Institutions under Authoritarianism and Democratic Backsliding Regimes: a Comparative Session from Singapore and Poland

Author(s)

Yihan CuiFollow

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

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Mar 25th, 3:15 PM Mar 25th, 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.