Understanding hybrid regimes: How are they maintained and operated?

Abstract

While there have been periods of autocratization before, the current crisis of democracy—or, as it is often called, the “third wave of autocratization (Lührmann & Lindberg, 2019)— has some important characteristics setting it apart from previous ones. Likewise, while autocracies have always been around throughout human history, hybrid regimes that are gaining ground today systematically differ from “classical” autocracies. First, current episodes of autocratization tend to be subtle and gradual. Coups and overt election frauds are much less frequent than they used to be in the 20th century (Bermeo, 2016). Rather, in the majority of cases, democratically elected politicians purposefully dismantle democratic institutions, sometimes with relatively broad popular support (Diamond, 2021). Second, the emerging hybrid regimes tend to maintain a democratic façade, as they claim to be the true champions of the people (Guriev & Treisman, 2022). While these regimes limit citizens' freedoms and political rights, they typically refrain from overt repression and violence. These aspects have important implications and pose significant challenges to research (I will come back to this point later). The global crisis of democracy has also become a pivotal issue in public and political discourse in many countries over the past years. In a similar vein, it has become one of the most researched topics in the social sciences and in particular, in political science. In spite of the large volume of research conducted in this area, much remains to be explored.