Democratic Whiplash: The Mechanics of Double Transitions Within Democratizing Countries

Author: Miles Docil

Field of Study: Anthropology

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Matthew Cole

Easel: 77

Timeslot: Afternoon

Abstract: Serbia made strides towards democratization in the 2000s, and Tunisia was lauded as the lone successful Arab Spring Revolution in 2010. However, they both have since experienced a fall from democratic grace via the phenomenon of the double transition: when an authoritarian country democratizes, then backslides back into authoritarianism. There’s little practical use in studying democratization and resistance if, in practice, countries can’t sustain a functioning democracy that won’t backslide again within the next decade. This study will identify contributing factors of double transitions. It aims to identify factors that could predict if a country is at risk, as well as how significant catalyzing factors can be prevented. Working off of previous scholarly work regarding Serbia and Tunisia, two countries that experienced a double transition within the last few decades, this research will compare and contrast these cases to identify significant similarities and differences that could have wider implications for the phenomenon of double transitions as a whole.