Join us for a free docent-led tour of the ISAC Museum at 1:30pm on the first, second and third Saturday of each month. The tours meet in Breasted Hall (lobby) and last one hour. Bring your curiosity and re-discover the ancient world!

Overview: The Chicago Center on Democracy will convene a two-day workshop on the “International Dynamics of Democratic Backsliding: Multidisciplinary Perspectives from 1900 to the Present,” to be held on the University of Chicago’s campus, on January 12 and 13, 2026.

Description: Across different time periods and places, democratic decay has often been driven not by dramatic coups, but rather by elected political leaders and parties who undermine political institutions from within, restrict civil and political rights, and weaponize state instruments to attack their opponents. In recent years, researchers across various fields have expanded our understanding of these global dynamics by examining the role of domestic actors and conditions. By contrast, scholars have devoted less attention to the international dynamics that facilitate these processes of democratic erosion worldwide, or to the consequences of these episodes for the international order.

This workshop examines inter- and transnational dimensions of democratic backsliding. Workshop participants will consider how ‘backsliders’ attack (and sometimes co-opt) international institutions, reject international norms and standards, and ban and persecute international NGOs that protect democracy and human rights, among other actions. We will see how such strategies have spread across borders and have resonated with groups of citizens who are distrustful of international institutions.

Call for papers: This event is open to the public for those who would like to attend. For those who would like to present at the event, we have an open call for papers, which we will accept through September 15, 2025. We invite the participation of colleagues in the fields of political science, international relations, history, economics, law, and related disciplines who are working on the international dimensions of democratic backsliding.

Additional details:

• The public portions of the workshop will take place from around 9:30am to 5:00pm CST on Monday, January 12, 2026, and from 9:30am to 3:00pm CST on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
• The workshop is part of an international collaborative project, Global Governance, Trust and Democratic Engagement in Past and Present.
• Meals will be provided during the event.
• The exact venue is to be determined, and will be posted on this page ahead of the event.

Join us for a free docent-led tour of the ISAC Museum at 1:30pm on the first, second and third Saturday of each month. The tours meet in Breasted Hall (lobby) and last one hour. Bring your curiosity and re-discover the ancient world!

Join us for a free docent-led tour of the ISAC Museum at 1:30pm on the first, second and third Saturday of each month. The tours meet in Breasted Hall (lobby) and last one hour. Bring your curiosity and re-discover the ancient world!

Join us for a free docent-led tour of the ISAC Museum at 1:30pm on the first, second and third Saturday of each month. The tours meet in Breasted Hall (lobby) and last one hour. Bring your curiosity and re-discover the ancient world!

Join us for a free docent-led tour of the ISAC Museum at 1:30pm on the first, second and third Saturday of each month. The tours meet in Breasted Hall (lobby) and last one hour. Bring your curiosity and re-discover the ancient world!

Join us for a free docent-led tour of the ISAC Museum at 1:30pm on the first, second and third Saturday of each month. The tours meet in Breasted Hall (lobby) and last one hour. Bring your curiosity and re-discover the ancient world!