During the 2015 refugee crisis in Europe, politicians of the far-right Law and Justice Party (PiS) characterized migrants as dangerous “others” attacking the Polish way of life. They rode this wave of xenophobia, racism, and Islamophobia to a major victory in 2015. 

Racism in Poland and the Rise of the Law and Justice Party

Racial tensions have increasingly characterized American elections of the past decade or so as the Republican party has become increasingly white-centric, and radical movements like the Tea Party have empowered white conservatives. In 2016, Trump utilized racist attacks—such as on Mexican immigrants and Muslims—to garner support and win the election. It is important to note, however, that his racism-fueled election was steeped in a longer trend of increasing racial divides.

Racism in the United States and the Rise of Trump

Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalism (or Hindutva) takes advantage of long-existing tensions between Hindus and Muslims to stoke Islamophobic sentiment. He has since risen a wave of populist sentiment to win the Prime Ministership.

Racism in India and the Rise of Narendra Modi

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

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

The Prevalence of Racism and Ethnic Conflicts in Democracies

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

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