Regional Perspectives on Autocratization: Western Europe

The goal of this chapter is to review the scholarship on autocratization in Western Europe during the past ten years. It examines four (related) elements that have an impact on this phenomenon: a drop in voter turnout; modifications to the party structure and level of support; an increase in the levels of polarization in Western societies; and a rise in populism. This chapter demonstrates how the influence of these four factors differs depending on whether democracy is defined as minimalist or maximalist. The chapter analyzes the major arguments and conclusions and clarifies the major disagreements in the field of study. It also makes clear that what Western Europeans perceive as a democratic backsliding is actually a loss in democracy’s liberal component.