Countering Illiberalism in Liberal Democracies: Information, Legacies, Temporalities

The article lays the foundations of a research agenda on the conditions favoring short-term success against emerging illiberal challenges—necessary for democrats to rebuild support and strengthen democratic resilience. When confronting an illiberal executive (resistance scenario) or a rising illiberal opposition (prevention scenario), democrats face a temporal paradox: early in the confrontation, illiberals are easier to defeat, but uncertainty about the regime threat hampers coordination and mobilization. As illiberals gain influence, the threat becomes clearer, improving the chances of effective coordination, yet the range of viable countermeasures shrinks, reducing the likelihood of success. Exogenous information and favorable institutional legacies enhance democrats’ ability to navigate this paradox successfully. When an illiberal opposition is on the brink of power, democrats enter trench warfare (containment scenario), best seen as part of a longer-run sequence. The article identifies key research challenges and summarizes how the contributions to this special issue address some of them.