Phase IFoundation
Background
Overview
UPSC examines global political trends, challenges to democratic governance, and the resilience of constitutional institutions. Understanding democratic backsliding is crucial for analyzing contemporary political developments and their impact on international relations and domestic policy.
Populism refers to a political approach that appeals to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups. Democratic backsliding is the gradual decline in the quality of democracy, often characterized by the weakening of checks and balances, erosion of civil liberties, and undermining of independent institutions like the judiciary and media, frequently under populist leadership.