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The elections of Boris Johnson in the UK and Donald Trump in the US, along with the authoritarian tendencies of some leaders in the Global South, have shaken the foundations of democracy. These leaders see democratic institutions as obstacles to populist ideas, sparking debates and disregard for democratic norms. Known as democratic backsliding, this concerning trend has grown since the late 20th century’s “third wave” of democratization, leading to a “culture of silence” where good governance has been undermined.
The Politics of Democratic Backsliding offers an epistemically diverse exploration of the changing roles of politicians and bureaucrats, examining their relationships and rules of engagement across various governance contexts. It equips scholars, practitioners, decision-makers, and students with a nuanced understanding of these complexities, while stimulating theoretical and practical strategies to promote meritocratic and politically neutral public services in emerging and developing countries. Chapters offer diverse perspectives, epistemologies, and methodologies, contributing to the discussion by theorizing conceptual elements, exploring essential methodological approaches, examining different regime types, political systems, and constitutions, and enhancing the researcher-practitioner exchange.
Essential to scholars, practitioners, decision-makers, and students, this edited collection provides a nuanced understanding of the complexities in the evolving roles of politicians and bureaucrats.
Frank L.K. Ohemeng is an Associate Professor and the Interim Head of the Master of Public Policy and Administration Program at Yorkville University, Canada.
Joseph R.A. Ayee is Emeritus Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Ghana.
Abena Frimpoma Dadze-Arthur is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at the University of Birmingham, UK.
Chapter 1. Introduction: Politicians and Bureaucrats in an Era of Democratic Backsliding; Joseph R.A. Ayee, Abena Frimpoma Dadze-Arthur, and Frank L.K. Ohemeng
Chapter 2. Democratic Backsliding and Public Administration in Latin America; David Ibáñez-Parra and Ricardo A. Bello-Gómez
Chapter 3. The 3 Ps of Caribbean Democracy: Postinternationalism, Postcolonialism, and Power; Dana-Marie Ramjit
Chapter 4. Beyond Democratic Backsliding: Orbán’s Hungary and the Making of an Antiliberal Polity; Jason Xidias
Chapter 5. The Unfinished (De) Colonisation: Democratic Backsliding and Civil Service in Hong Kong in the Post-National Security Law Era; Helix Lo
Chapter 6. The Keen Pretenders and the Slow Learners: the new Authoritarian Ecology between Hong Kong’s Politicians and Bureaucrats; Pak Wan Major Pau
Chapter 7. Politician-Bureaucrat Relationships in Pakistan’s Tutelary Hybrid Regime; Sameen A. Mohsin Ali
Chapter 8. Caretaker Governments, Elevated Street Level Discretion, and Implications for Democracy: Evidence from Pakistan; Asad Ejaz Butt and Peter Stanley Federman
Chapter 9. Bureaucratic Shadows: Administrative Capture and Democratic Backsliding in Bangladesh; Habib Zafarullah and Ahmed Shafiqul Huque
Chapter 10. In the Name of the National Will: Populist Authoritarianism and the Transformation of Turkish Bureaucracy (2004–2024); Galip Emre Yıldırım
Chapter 11. Meritocratic Bureaucracy and Democratic Stability: Lessons from Botswana; Emmanuel Botlhale
Chapter 12. When Democratic Institutions Become Instruments of Control: Competitive Authoritarianism and Democratic Stagnation in the Case of Ghana, 2017-2024; Frank L.K. Ohemeng, Abena Frimpoma Dadze-Arthur, and Joseph R.A. Ayee
Chapter 13. Conclusions and Lessons: Democratic Backsliding as Administrative Reconfiguration across Regimes, Regions, and Governance Orders; Abena Frimpoma Dadze-Arthur, Frank L.K. Ohemeng, and Joseph R.A. Ayee