Stevenson Trust Lecture with Anja Neundorf

How Democracies Die: Understanding Democratic Backsliding in the 21st Century

Around the world, democracy is under pressure, but today's democracies rarely collapse through military coups or revolutions. Instead, they are more often weakened gradually from within by elected leaders who erode democratic institutions one step at a time. In this lecture Professor Anja Neundorf (University of Glasgow) explores what democratic backsliding is, how it unfolds, and what recent global evidence reveals about the changing state of democracy across the world.

Stevenson Lecture series: Could it happen here? Democratic Backsliding Around the Globe

In the Autumn 2026 lecture series, we will explore what democratic backsliding is, what it looks like in other established democracies and what it would look like in the United Kingdom. Join us in-person or on-line as we welcome leading scholars to the University of Glasgow to help us understand how democratic institutions are eroding and what it means for people in the UK. In the Spring of 2027, we will turn to examining ways we can be involved in our democratic institutions and processes to help secure democracy in the UK.

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