Backsliding in Reverse? Reflections on Democratic Fragility and Resilience

Robert Lieberman, Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, delivered the keynote on election administration and democratic fragility at the opening of the Paul Cadario Conference Centre at University College. Elections are not the only important marker of effectively functioning democracies. Upholding the rule of law, legitimate political opposition, and the integrity of rights are critical indicators of democratic health. Democratic backsliding – the increasingly common process of state-led democratic deterioration, often through legal means – typically involves the erosion of one or more of these pillars. And each of these attributes of democracy, in the United States and elsewhere, has come under threat in recent years. Join us online to discuss the crises of American democracy and what can make democratic institutions resilient in the face of such challenges.