Why democrats abandon democracy: Evidence from four survey experiments.
Date
2022
Authors
Fossati, Diego
Muhtadi, Burhanuddin
Warburton, Eve
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sage Publications Inc
Abstract
In several world regions, democracy is in retreat. This retreat is taking place amid growing polarization in many countries, and analysts are increasingly concerned with the role that deepening political divisions play in processes of democratic decline. This article investigates the relationship between partisan polarization and deteriorating public support for democratic institutions. It leverages the case of Indonesia, a major third-wave democracy now in the midst of a democratic regression. Indonesia’s political landscape has become more ideologically polarized in recent years, despite the strength of clientelist networks and low levels of party identification. Using four survey experiments, we find that Indonesians embrace illiberal interventions and abandon democratic institutions when exposed to party and leadership cues. These results suggest that political polarization may prompt citizens to abandon democratic norms even in democracies without strong partisan identities.
Description
Keywords
democratic backsliding, Indonesia, partisan polarization, support for democracy, survey experiments
Citation
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Source
Party Politics
Type
Journal article
Book Title
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Access Statement
License Rights
Restricted until
2099-12-31