If the end of the 20th century was defined by the relatively widespread acceptance of democracy, the second decade of the 21st century is marked by concerns about backsliding in new and established democracies alike and by a notable decline in foreign support for democracy around the world. As democracy’s global tailwinds shift to headwinds, scholars have an opportunity to better understand how experience with even superficial forms of democratic institutions across a diverse set of contexts influences citizen behavior when formal democratic institutions erode or disappear. This shift also provides the opportunity to examine whether citizen movements alone—absent external support—are sufficient to check newly emboldened autocrats.

中文翻译：

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民主在国际环境中的倒退

如果说 20 世纪末的定义是相对广泛地接受民主，那么 21 世纪的第二个十年的特点是担心新的和成熟的民主国家倒退，以及外国对世界各地民主的支持显着下降。随着民主的全球顺风转为逆风，学者们有机会更好地理解，当正式民主制度受到侵蚀或消失时，即使是表面形式的民主制度在不同背景下的经验也会影响公民行为。这种转变还提供了一个机会，可以检查仅靠公民运动——缺乏外部支持——是否足以遏制新近胆大妄为的独裁者。