The racist discourse of the Polish government has caused a drop in support for resettling refugees and has demonized migrants as violent criminals. Trump instituted an Islamophobic travel ban and promised to build a wall on the US-Mexico border. Modi’s economic policies have routinely erased Muslim Indians from consideration. All three cases demonstrate attacks on the civil liberties of members of minority groups, a key tenet of liberal democracy.

Autocrats Stoking Racial Tensions to Their Advantage

Would-be autocrats have risen to power off of waves of racist sentiment and pursued racist policies in power to cement their popularity.

Wesleyan University

Many democracies have seen a rise in racial tensions resulting from unresolved racial divides that have contributed to the rise of autocrats. 

How Racism Enables the Rise of Autocrats

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

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