A Longitudinal Study of Global Democratic Backsliding

The project is a longitudinal analysis aimed at understanding the trends and patterns of democratic decline worldwide. By examining data spanning an 18-year period, this study seeks to identify key factors contributing to the erosion of democratic norms and institutions across different regions.

Democratic backsliding, characterized by the weakening of democratic institutions, erosion of civil liberties, and the rise of authoritarian tendencies, poses a significant challenge to global stability and governance. This project aims to shed light on the dynamics of democratic backsliding by analyzing historical data and identifying potential drivers behind this phenomenon.

Usage

To use this project with R, follow these steps:

1. Install R: If you haven't already, download and install R from the official R website.

2. Download RStudio: RStudio is the interface in which R will be coded. If you do not have RStudio, the program will not run correctly (https://posit.co/products/open-source/rstudio/)

3. Install and Load Required Packages: This project relies on several R packages. To install them, run the following commands in RStudio:

   install.packages("tidyverse")
   install.packages("rnaturalearth")
   install.packages("rnaturalearthdata")
   install.packages("ggplot2")
   install.packages("dplyr")
   install.packages("knitr")
   
   library(tidyverse)
   library(rnaturalearth)
   library(rnaturalearthdata)
   library(ggplot2)
   library(dplyr)
   library(knitr)
   
   #Ctrl + Shift + C (on Windows/Linux) or Command + Shift + C (on macOS) to comment out
   install.packages when finished installing.
   

4. Load the CSV and gif files: This code is formatted to go out and grab the files from the internet. Ensure your machine is connected to the internet and then run all chunks.

Viewing

Alternatively, to view this project using HTML, follow these steps:

1. Select the HTML file from the repository
2. Download and open a copy on your device.

Sources

“About Us.” Freedom House, freedomhouse.org/about-us. Accessed 18 Dec. 2023.

The Africa Center for Strategic Studies. “The Legacy of Military Governance in Mali.” Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 7 Sept. 2023, africacenter.org/spotlight/legacy-military-governance-mali/.

Camara, Kamissa. “Mali Is Becoming a Failed State and It Is Not the Jihadists’ Fault - Africa Research Institute.” Africa Research Institute - Building on the Dynamism in Africa Today, 27 Feb. 2022, www.africaresearchinstitute.org/newsite/blog/mali-becoming-failed-state-not-jihadists-fault/.

“Freedom in the World.” Freedom House, freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world. Accessed 18 Dec. 2023.

“Our History.” Freedom House, freedomhouse.org/about-us/our-history. Accessed 18 Dec. 2023.

Seelke, Clare Rebando. “Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy .” Congress Research Service, 1 Sept. 2023, crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10230.

Stuenkel, Oliver Della Costa, and Andreas E. Feldmann. The Unchecked Demise of Nicaraguan Democracy - Carnegie Endowment For ..., 16 Nov. 2017, carnegieendowment.org/2017/11/16/unchecked-demise-of-nicaraguan-democracy-pub-74761.

Whiteman, Kaye. “Backgrounder: Mali’s Struggle for Democracy.” Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 28 July 2013, www.aljazeera.com/features/2013/7/28/backgrounder-malis-struggle-for-democracy.