We Only Have One Country: Multiethnic Coalitions and Resistance to Democratic Backsliding

Fri, October 10, 2025 10:30 AM - Fri, October 10, 2025 12:00 PM at Zoom

Abstract: 
The rise of incumbent-led democratic backsliding has sparked a renewed focus on opposition movements. That said, our understanding of when movements against backsliding are likely to be successful is under-explored. I point to the role of multiethnic coalitions in shaping public attitudes of dominant group members toward protest movements against backsliding. In particular, I argue that multiethnic coalitions can lead to a backlash effect, especially among group members who identify as more ethnonationalist and especially when ethnic minority politicians endorse these protest movements. In contrast, endorsements from majority politicians can ameliorate these negative perceptions of multiethnic movements. Using a pre-registered conjoint survey experiment in Israel, I find support for my argument. Thus, my findings contribute to research on democratic backsliding, ethnic politics, and contentious politics by shedding light on when and why majority group members will be more likely to support diverse protests in backsliding settings.