Democratic Backsliding

"Democratic backsliding is a gradual process that occurs when democratically elected officials—particularly executives—intentionally weaken or dismantle core democratic institutions. These include the constitution, rule of law, civil and minority rights, the independence of the judiciary and the media, the separation of powers within government, and the competitiveness of elections. While the starting point for any case of backsliding is a democracy, the outcome is either an illiberal democracy or a semi-autocratic regime."

Source: https://academic.oup.com/book/61613/chapter-abstract/539058283?redirectedFrom=fulltext