India

Definition

In the context of Introduction to Political Science, focusing on Governing Regimes and specifically under the topic Recent Trends: Illiberal Representative Regimes, India serves as a case study of a country transitioning from a liberal democracy towards an illiberal representative regime. This transition is characterized by the erosion of democratic norms and practices, such as freedom of press, independence of judiciary, and protection of minority rights, despite maintaining electoral processes.

Related terms

Liberal Democracy: A form of government characterized by free and fair elections, protection of civil liberties, rule of law, and checks and balances among government institutions.

Illiberal Democracy: A governing system where although elections take place, citizens' rights and freedoms are restricted, and there is a lack of checks and balances in the governance structure.

Electoral Authoritarianism: A regime that holds regular elections but lacks democratic standards such as fairness, freedom of speech, and accountability in governance