A new theoretical framework of democratic backsliding

Most of the works on democratic backsliding have so far analysed the causes of the deterioration of democratic standards, sometimes proposing corrective mechanisms, but few works have focused on the real meaning of the concept, on the specific trend of institutional change inherent the process of democratic backsliding and its correct application to empirical cases. This paper attempts to fill the gap by providing a theoretical framework of democratic backsliding to explain the phases of its evolution and suggest its application to certain institutional contexts. In this regards, the article is divided into three parts. The first delves into the meaning of the term and proposes a definition applicable to various cases. The second part analyses the phases of the process of institutional change produced by democratic backsliding, with reference to the institutional context within which the phenomenon originates, the third suggests a selection of cases.