In an era of global democratic decline, elected leaders have tapped economic and other grievances and resentments, harnessed new coalitions, and created popular narratives that legitimize the concentration of power in single parties and individuals. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India has compromised the integrity and independence of state institutions, and attacked civil society actors, media, academia, and opposition parties. But national elections earlier this year brought surprising results, with Modi’s party losing its parliamentary majority and now governing through a coalition. In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling party were also handed a surprising electoral defeat in local elections in March 2024. Elections in the United States on November 5 for control of the presidency and Congress are among the most closely contested in recent decades, and with the results likely to face legal challenges after Election Day. Through a comparative discussion of India, Turkey, and the United States, this panel will explore how to understand the authoritarian turn, varying modes of repressive governance within democracies and bases of its support, and the channels through which opposition parties and social movements have navigated the fraught political landscape.

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