Polariseringens påverkan på democratic backsliding i USA

Sammanfattning: Global liberal democracy is turning in on itself, both in terms of quality and quantity. Although instead of imploding due to a coup d’état, incremental erosion of democracy is the new norm. This is more commonly known as democratic backsliding and scholarly agreement points to polarization as an underlying cause. Since 2016 the U.S. democratic quality has significantly dropped, whilst polarization is at an all time high. This essay attempts to explain how polarization more concretely has contributed to democratic backsliding in the U.S. during the period 2016-2021. Through studying the political leadership, political institutions and social structures we arrive at the conclusion that democratic backsliding largely has been facilitated through the actions of Donald Trump, his further polarization of American society and the curtailing of democratic norms by political institutions. This has culminated in more restrictive voting rights, a politicized judiciary and the attack on the Capitol building.