Resistance is Not Always Futile

What Slovakia, South Korea, Guatemala, and Malawi can teach us about fighting back—before it’s too late.

Democratic backsliding – the erosion of checks and balances, civil liberties, and fair elections by incumbents – can often be halted or even reversed when citizens mobilize early in defense of democratic norms. In several notable cases around the world, popular resistance movements have successfully pushed back against autocratic actions before authorit…