Autocrats have benefitted from a rising perception among citizens of democracies that democracies struggle to govern, particularly on addressing long-term issues and immediate crises. Autocrats have capitalized off of this frustration to convince voters to elect non-democratic candidates.

Disillusionment With Democracy and The Rise of Autocrats

Would-be autocrats take advantage of disillusioned voters to win elections. They often polarize electorates/take advantage of extant polarization, exacerbate social divides, and engage in populist campaigning to build a base of support that will enable and maintain their rise to power.

How Autocrats Manipulate the Electorate to Rise to Power in Democracies

Would-be autocrats competing in democratic elections can employ a variety of strategies to convince voters to elect them. Autocrats have recently benefitted from a growing dissatisfaction with democracy among voters and have also manipulated social divides among their electorates to garner support.

Wesleyan University

Democratic erosion occurs when a democratically elected government, typically led by an autocratic leader, attacks the institutions and norms of a country’s democracy, gradually decreasing the quality of their country’s democracy in the process. Agents of democratic erosion typically attack the freeness and fairness of democratic elections, basic civil rights and liberties, and checks on executive power/the rule of law.

Democratic Erosion

How Autocrats Win Elections in Democracies

Autocrats primarily degrade democracy across three categories: by compromising the rule of law, attacking civil liberties, and violating the freeness and fairness of their countries’ elections. Autocrats can also violate democratic norms to change the culture of a country from a more democratic political culture to a more autocratic one. 

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