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Workshop on Polarization, Democratic Backsliding, and the Expanding Gap Between Democratic Expectations and Outcomes: Latin America and Beyond

When: Monday, March 31, 2025 - Tuesday, April 1, 2025, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Where: Queen Mary University of London , Mile End

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WORKSHOP - Call for papers

Polarization, Democratic Backsliding, and the Expanding Gap Between Democratic Expectations and Outcomes: Latin America and Beyond

 Convenors:

Javier Sajuria, Queen Mary University of London

Noam Titelman, Sciences Po

Lisa Zanotti, Universidad Diego Portales

 

Organised by the QMUL Centre for Governance and Democracy, with the generous support of the EPOP Anthony King Prize 2024.

Democratic systems worldwide are facing unprecedented challenges as mistrust and incivility between partisans increases. Orhan (2021), in a large study of 50 countries, shows a significant correlation between affective polarization and democratic backsliding. Additionally, studies have shown that more polarized individuals tend to have more tolerance for democratic transgressions (e.g. Svolik, 2019), and that extreme polarization could lead to democratic erosion (Schedler 2023). However, there is still a disconnect between two growing bodies of literature—one on democratic backsliding and the other on political polarization—that needs to be bridged. This gap regards the links between negative partisanship, antiestablishment sentiments and the polarization of elites.

Elites play an important role in both fuelling affective polarisation, signalling where cleavages lie, their intensity, and who can be considered part of the “us” and who is part of “them” (e.g. Wagner & Praprotnik, 2023). Furthermore, elites can engage in “democratic enemography,” a practice of portraying political opponents not just as adversaries but as existential enemies of democracy, further deepening societal divisions and contributing to the erosion of democratic norms (Schedler 2023).

In Latin America, where the impact of populism and far-right movements has deep historical roots, these dynamics have led to unique forms of democratic challenges. Yet these trends are not isolated to the region, reflecting a broader global pattern where citizens increasingly perceive democratic institutions as failing to deliver on their promises. This workshop will address how polarization affects democratic institutions and explore new ways of measuring citizens' attitudes towards democracy, shedding light on the potential for democratic erosion and resilience.

This workshop will explore the dynamics of polarisation and democratic backsliding, such as the role of elites in shaping public perceptions and the mechanisms they employ to influence political outcomes. It will also examine how polarised attitudes, particularly affective polarisation, are contributing to democratic erosion by fostering deep divisions between political groups. The workshop will offer a comparative analysis, with a focus on Latin America, but extending to other regions affected by these trends.

The workshop will address the following questions:

  1. What is the relationship between affective polarisation and democratic backsliding?
  2. How are political elites shaping public perceptions of democratic outcomes, and what mechanisms do they employ to influence policy and discourse?
  3. How does the growing gap between citizens' expectations and democratic outcomes affect voter behaviour, political disengagement, and support for authoritarian alternatives?
  4. What roles do negative partisanship and anti-establishment sentiments play in contributing to democratic backsliding?
  5. How can we better measure democratic attitudes in ways that reflect both support for and resistance to democratic erosion?

We encourage papers addressing a range of topics, including but not limited to:

  • Comparative studies of democratic attitudes and backsliding, particularly (but not exclusive to) between Latin America and other regions.
  • The role of populist and far-right elites in shaping voter behaviour and public perceptions of democracy.
  • The links between polarisation, democratic expectations, and voter disengagement or apathy.
  • Innovative approaches to measuring democratic attitudes that reflect susceptibility to democratic backsliding.
  • The role of elites in influencing polarised discourse and delegitimizing democratic institutions.
  • The impact of negative partisanship on the stability of democratic systems.

The workshop aims to bring together established and early career scholars working on

single case or comparative studies looking at any of the topics listed above. The intention is to submit a proposal for a special issue of Representation https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/rrep20  based on the workshop papers.

To apply, please submit a 250-word abstract by January 15th, 2025, using this form (https://forms.office.com/e/AkXkMkT537). Successful participants will be notified by the end of January.

Food and refreshments will be provided to all participants. We will provide travel and accommodation funds for a reduced number of early career scholars.

 

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