How Citizens’ Experience of Democracy Can Actually Pave the Way to Democratic Backsliding

Ralph Hertwig; Stephan Lewandowsky

doi:10.1038/s44271-025-00327-1

How Citizens’ Experience of Democracy Can Actually Pave the Way to Democratic Backsliding

Ralph Hertwig^*
, Stephan Lewandowsky

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate (Academic Journal) › peer-review

Abstract

Why do many citizens of Western Europe appear complacent about their societies’ democratic backsliding? This behavior can be at least partly explained by the effect of personal experience on risk perception: a stable democratic past lulls humans into a false sense of security.

Original language	English
Article number	144
Number of pages	3
Journal	Communications Psychology
Volume	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-025-00327-1
Publication status	Published - 2 Oct 2025

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Protecting the Democratic Information Space in Europe
Lewandowsky, S. (Principal Investigator), Westaway, R. M. (Administrator) & Carrella, F. (Researcher)
1/10/21 → 30/09/26
Project: Research, Parent

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title = "How Citizens{\textquoteright} Experience of Democracy Can Actually Pave the Way to Democratic Backsliding",

abstract = "Why do many citizens of Western Europe appear complacent about their societies{\textquoteright} democratic backsliding? This behavior can be at least partly explained by the effect of personal experience on risk perception: a stable democratic past lulls humans into a false sense of security.",

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How Citizens’ Experience of Democracy Can Actually Pave the Way to Democratic Backsliding

Abstract

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Protecting the Democratic Information Space in Europe

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