‘Speaking truth to power'? Political scientists’ mediated engagement within the context of democratic backsliding

Illiberal trends around the world have brought about various manifestations of democratic backsliding, against which political scientists (PSs) are uniquely situated to assume public roles to impact such processes. This study aims to disclose how Israeli PSs characterize their roles in the public sphere within the context of perceived democratic backsliding, emphasizing their approach to media presence. Specifically, this study utilizes semi-structured interviews to understand PSs’ impetus for entering the public sphere, assumed role (observer, partisan, expert-oriented partisan, or broker), preferred method of engagement, as well as a range of media perceptions and professional considerations. We focus on the impact of an acute period of democratic backsliding on public engagement, concentrating on the 2023 judicial reform in Israel, in which the government attempted to severely weaken the judiciary. Our findings demonstrate the complicated role of PSs in times of democratic backsliding, especially when attempting to teach the public about democracy.