Activity 01
Case Study Analysis: How Democracies Die From Within
Small groups each study one case of democratic backsliding: Hungary under Orban, Turkey under Erdogan, Venezuela under Maduro, or the January 6, 2021 events in the US. Using a provided framework (executive aggrandizement, attacks on judiciary, press freedom restrictions, electoral manipulation), each group maps which tactics were used and how far the backsliding progressed. Groups report out and the class identifies common patterns.
Explain why democracy is currently in retreat in several parts of the world.
Facilitation TipDuring Case Study Analysis, assign each small group a different phase of backsliding so they notice how early legal changes quietly accumulate into major shifts.
What to look forPose the question: 'Imagine you are advising a newly elected leader in a country experiencing democratic backsliding. What are the top three institutional checks and balances you would prioritize protecting, and why?' Facilitate a class debate where students defend their choices.
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Activity 02
Institutional Analysis: What Protects Democracy?
Students receive a chart of democratic safeguards (independent courts, free press, term limits, separation of powers, strong civil society, electoral administration). For each safeguard, pairs identify one case where it successfully checked executive overreach and one case where it failed. The class builds a shared analysis of what makes institutional guardrails resilient or fragile.
Analyze how democratic institutions can protect themselves from internal threats.
Facilitation TipFor Institutional Analysis, provide students with a blank matrix labeled ‘Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, Media’ and ask them to fill in one protective mechanism for each before comparing in pairs.
What to look forProvide students with short case study summaries of countries exhibiting democratic backsliding. Ask them to identify specific populist tactics used and the democratic institutions being targeted. For example, 'Identify two populist appeals and one institutional threat in this summary.'
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Activity 03
Formal Debate: Is Liberal Democracy Still the Right Model?
Four groups are assigned positions: liberal democracy is the only legitimate form of government; democracy should be adapted to local cultural contexts (illiberal democracy); technocratic governance by experts is more effective; and authoritarian development models can deliver better outcomes for more people. Each group argues from evidence. The debrief examines what assumptions underlie each position.
Evaluate the viability of a 'liberal' world order in a multipolar century.
Facilitation TipIn the Structured Debate, require each team to cite at least one historical or contemporary example to support their model’s strengths or flaws.
What to look forOn an index card, have students write one sentence explaining the difference between 'autocratization from within' and a traditional coup. Then, ask them to list one specific action a leader might take to weaken judicial independence.
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Activity 04
Socratic Seminar: The Citizen's Responsibility
After studying democratic backsliding cases, the class holds a Socratic seminar on the question: What can ordinary citizens do when democratic institutions are being eroded? Students bring two pieces of historical evidence and one contemporary example. The teacher facilitates but does not lead. The seminar closes with each student writing a one-paragraph response they would defend publicly.
Explain why democracy is currently in retreat in several parts of the world.
Facilitation TipUse the Socratic Seminar seating chart to pair quieter students with confident speakers to ensure equitable participation.
What to look forPose the question: 'Imagine you are advising a newly elected leader in a country experiencing democratic backsliding. What are the top three institutional checks and balances you would prioritize protecting, and why?' Facilitate a class debate where students defend their choices.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Teach this topic by staging dilemmas rather than delivering lectures. Pose problems like, ‘What if your party wins big but the opposition warns of authoritarianism?’ Have students map the sequence from electoral victory to institutional capture. Avoid presenting democracy as a binary ‘flourishing vs failing’ system; instead emphasize the daily work of maintenance. Research in political science shows that when students simulate backsliding scenarios, their retention of institutional safeguards improves by 25% compared with traditional readings.
By the end, students should argue with evidence, identify institutional pressure points, and articulate citizen duties—not just describe democracy as a finished product. They should leave able to distinguish populist rhetoric from institutional erosion and to recommend concrete safeguards.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During Case Study Analysis, watch for students who assume every leader who attacks courts or media is ‘obviously’ anti-democratic.
Use the case studies to make students trace the exact legal steps leaders take to erode checks—for example, stacking courts with loyalists—and ask them to classify each action as either a legal reform or an abuse of power.
During Institutional Analysis, watch for students who equate populism with outright dictatorship.
Have students classify populist claims as either rhetorical style (claiming to represent ‘the real people’) or governing practice (using that claim to dismantle minority rights), using the populism framework handout.
During the Socratic Seminar, watch for students who conflate economic growth with democratic stability.
Prompt them to compare Hungary’s backsliding with Singapore’s authoritarian development by asking, ‘What institutional choices allowed one to backslide and the other to remain authoritarian without collapse?’
Methods used in this brief