“So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause.”
Padmé Amidala, Revenge of the Sith (dir. George Lucas)
How does a democracy become a dictatorship? What does it mean for a democracy to “backslide”? These are questions that political scientists, political theorists, and, even, sci-fi directors have grappled with and will continue to do so. In the context of the Star Wars universe, democratic backsliding is something subtle; little acts that disguise nefarious intent– a slow march to authoritarianism. George Lucas even went so far as to say, “All democracies turn into dictatorships—but not by a coup. The people give their democracy to a dictator…Ultimately, the general population goes along with the idea ... What kinds of things push people and institutions into this direction?" A bleak interpretation, sure, but his point mirrors that of famous theorists, such as Plato, and his worries about democracy and Mill’s belief that democracy could turn into despotism.
On the other hand, George Lucas’ question regarding what kinds of things push people and institutions is a curious one and worth explaining how it relates to the concept of democratic backsliding.
What is Democratic Backsliding?
Broadly speaking, this is “state-led debilitation or elimination of any of the political institutions that sustain an existing democracy” (pg. 5)
In other words, democratic backsliding is not always some actor from outside the political system leading a coup. It’s the smooth-talking guy who says this institution takes away the power from the people.
There’s three different types of democratic backsliding, according to Thomas Carothers:
Grievance-fueled illiberalism (aka, that guy we were just talking about)
Opportunistic authoritarianism (aka, someone who decides to turn against democracy for personal and political reasons)
Entrenched-interest revanchism (aka, a military leader was pushed out of power because of democratization and wants it back)
Examples of Democratic Backsliding
But has this really happened? Unfortunately, yes. There’s plenty of examples of strong democracies making this backwards slide. Let’s break it down by the three kinds of backsliding.
Grievance-fueled illiberalism: Bolsanoro’s rise to power came about because he utilized Brazilians’ anger at the widespread corruption politicians engaged in. He co-opted the anger and disappointment of Brazilians in their elected leaders, for his own political gain. In a similar vein, the uptick in Hindu nationalism in India is partially due to Modi and allies’ push that, “because Hindus make up roughly 80 percent of India’s population, they constitute a dominant majority that deserves to be treated as first among equals”
Opportunistic authoritarianism: One of the best examples is with the Georgian Dream party that ran on the platform of “pledging that it would increase welfare spending and counter the perceived authoritarianism” but, once in power, pushed for undemocratic measures to be adopted due to the party’s leader fearing future repercussions.
Entrenched-interest revanchism: Myanmar is one of the best and most recent examples. Initially, the country was experiencing a democratic transition after a decades-long military rule. This democratic period lasted for ten years until the military once again seized power.
How to Prevent It?
To prevent democratic backsliding, it might be about working on your democratic muscle, by taking part in civil society and associational democracy.
Or maybe, as Carothers argues, it might be about democracy supporters understanding the different kinds of democratic backsliding and “the variation of motivations and methods” present in each.
Or, if you’re a bit of a pessimist you might think this was always going to happen (perhaps you’re a historical determinist). That democracy would always lead to authoritarianism, much like George Lucas’ bleak outlook on democracy or Montesquieu’s belief that “the spirit of extreme equality” (pg. 132) will lead to citizens refusing to obey their leaders.
On the other hand, if Star Wars is to be believed, we just need to have hope. And maybe Luke Skywalker and his friends.