The Democracy Playbook, a comprehensive guide developed by the Anti-Corruption, Democracy, and Security (ACDS) project, is set to release its fourth edition. This edition will focus on practical strategies to help democracies reverse democratic backsliding, drawing from both scholarly research and practitioner experience. The Playbook aims to provide a roadmap for democracies under autocratic pressure to perform “U-turns,” which are significant reversals of democratic decline.
The fourth edition will incorporate the latest developments in the global authoritarian surge and the subsequent democratic pushback. It will survey recent scholarship on democratic U-turns, offering insights into what actions and strategies have proven effective in real-world contexts. The Playbook will be co-edited by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center, ensuring a robust and well-rounded perspective.
The Playbook’s framework will build on the seven pillars introduced in previous editions: defending the rule of law, protecting elections, fighting corruption, and safeguarding civic and media space. However, the fourth edition will refine these pillars based on new global findings. Emphasis will be placed on protecting the rule of law, as it is crucial for ensuring safe, free, and fair elections. Corruption will also be a key focus, given its pervasive role in authoritarian regimes.
Beyond these pillars, the fourth edition will delve into additional dimensions of democratic resilience. It will explore how the press responds to democratic backsliding, the role of public protest, and the importance of political leadership. These dimensions will be studied in depth to understand their impact across the seven primary pillars.
The ACDS project has conducted extensive global fieldwork over the past decade, studying methodologies for democratic U-turns in countries like Nigeria, Peru, and Mongolia. In Mongolia, the focus was on beneficial ownership rules to combat corruption. In Nigeria, storytelling techniques were studied to convey the impacts of democracy in relatable ways. These findings and accumulated data will be reflected in the fourth edition of the Playbook.
The Playbook’s recommendations and frameworks are designed to address contemporary challenges such as political polarization, media fragmentation, misinformation, and declining trust in institutions. To ensure real-world impact, the Playbook will synthesize information from various sources and describe how democracies can remain resilient in the face of these challenges.
Additional initiatives by the ACDS project include: The Monitoring the Pillars of Democracy series tracks the performance of global democracies using the Playbook’s framework. The New Transatlantic Bridge Initiative focuses on fostering dialogue and collaboration between the United States, Europe, and Canada. This initiative aims to build a robust transatlantic bridge by engaging various stakeholders, including government officials, national minority parties, subnational entities, business leaders, labor groups, cultural figures, and academics.
The ACDS project’s efforts extend beyond publishing the Playbook. It includes hosting conferences, publishing essays, and conducting real-time analyses of global democratic trends. These activities are part of a broader effort to promote democratic resilience and counter authoritarian pressures. The project’s work is supported by a diverse array of funders, ensuring its independence and impact.
