Debates about the health of democracy globally have intensified in recent years. Despite there being more democratic countries in the world than ever following the third wave of democratization, the optimism associated with the spread and strengthening of this type of regime seems to be waning. The advancement of new forms of questionably democratic right and left continues, both in developing and developed countries, including in those countries where, until recently, such shifts would have been completely unimaginable.

Like any social phenomenon, the threat to democracy is a multicausal process. It results from a complex combination of domestic and international factors leading to wear and tear scenarios. In this context, efforts to understand better the nature of the phenomena of this type by examining each case separately, looking inward at the national political realms only, will naturally fall short. Therefore, it is crucial to complement case studies with broader perspectives if we seek to understand more deeply what is happening with democracy worldwide and reveal the international dimension of contemporary political settings.

Against the above background, the special issue of Frontiers in Political Science aims to evaluate the link between the deterioration of democracies and aspects associated with international politics. We expect the papers selected for the special issue to explore crucial dimensions of the international that affect both the quality of democracy in political systems where it is considered stable and the deepening of the decline of democracy in those where it is already weak, covering a wide range of topics including but not limited to:

• Influence of states with non-democratic regimes on democracies

• Advancement of antidemocratic left and right movements around the world

• Migration, social unrest, and the growth of non-democratic forces

• Charismatic leadership and erosion of democracy domestically and regionally

• Global media, social networks, misinformation, and their impact on democracies

We welcome original research articles, theoretical inquiries, comparative analyses, case studies, and interdisciplinary perspectives shedding light on these pressing issues. Submissions should contribute novel insights that address the challenges facing contemporary democracies.

Submit your idea

Impact

Frontiers in Political Science

Submit your idea

Impact