Some cases featuring rising racial tensions and resultant democratic decline include Poland, the United States, and India.

The Prevalence of Racism and Ethnic Conflicts in Democracies

Would-be autocrats can exploit racist sentiment to gain support and rise to power; once in office, they may pursue racist policies to reinforce that support.

How Autocrats Use Racial Tensions to Their Advantage

Unresolved racial and ethnic divisions can enable would-be autocrats to gain support by exploiting and intensifying racial tensions.

Wesleyan University

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Voters living in democracies—particularly young democracies—have become disappointed with their governments’ ability to govern, particularly when addressing corruption, unstable economies, racism, and other long-term issues.

Democracy’s Perceived Inadequacy: Long-Term Issues

Several decades after transitioning to democracy, many countries have continually struggled with rampant corruption that their governments have been unable to fix. The persistence of corruption has spurred many citizens in these democracies to support radical parties in the hopes of reforming their governments.

How Corruption Enables the Rise of Autocrats

Many democracies have had persistent problems with unstable economies and rampant inequality. The failure of democracies to address these issues has contributed to the rise of autocrats.

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