A Social Psychological Perspective on How to Preserve Academic Freedom in Illiberal Political Contexts

ABSTRACT In this paper, we explore how illiberal regimes strategically and ideologically target academic institutions to consolidate their power and suppress dissent using the example of 16 years of growing illiberal populism in Hungary. We argue that the erosion of academic freedom is not a byproduct of illiberalism, but a core objective in the broader effort to reshape democratic institutions and science policy. Drawing on theories linking personal psychological processes to political instability and recognizing the ideological and pragmatic aspects of political decisions, we advance four propositions for safeguarding academic freedom and building democratic resilience: (1) resisting illegitimate pressures and overcoming self‐censorship to maintain the scope of enquiry; (2) sustaining open, critical dialogue within academia to preserve intellectual quality and institutional resilience; (3) balancing scientific enquiry with principled advocacy to defend both rigorous scholarship and ethical responsibility and (4) engaging with the public to counter disinformation and foster trust in science.