Talk:
“Democracy as Liberal Governance or Social Justice? A global inquiry into the popular understandings of democracy”
by
Dr. Kadir Aydın Gündüz
Assistant Professor
Political Science and International Relations
TOBB University of Economics and Technology
k.gunduz@etu.edu.tr
& Dr. Kerem Yıldırım
Assistant Professor
Political Science and Public Administration
Bilkent University
kyildirim@bilkent.edu.tr
Date and Room Info:
Tuesday, December 17, 2024, 12:30 p.m.
A-130
Abstract:
Democracy has been ‘the only game in town’ in the people’s minds for a long time; however, not everyone means the same thing when they say that they support democracy. While there has never been a universal definition of democracy that captures its complexities and nuances; diverse and continuously evolving understandings of democracy have emerged across different polities, reflecting varying priorities such as fair and free competition, individual liberties, equality, and the role of government in ensuring social welfare. The aforementioned divergent viewpoints are susceptible to triggering discussions, disagreements, and tradeoffs at times, which have become more than relevant in the face of the ongoing autocratization wave and populist surge. Is democracy fundamentally a procedural matter that embodies the tenets of liberal governance, or is it some means for achieving social justice and promoting communal welfare (i.e., instrumental understanding)? Considering the interplay between institutional frameworks and several micro-level factors, this paper aims to identify what makes individuals prioritize the latter over the former. We employ cross-national time series data from the World Values Survey, and our findings show that supporters of the incumbent parties tend to be instrumentalists, and this tendency is even stronger in backsliding democracies. This suggests that in contexts where democratic norms are under threat, a utilitarian perspective may prevail among the incumbent supporters who value immediate benefits and stability over foundational principles of democratic governance. The partisan polarization seems to acquire a new layer to consider — making it even more significant and profound than anticipated.
Short Biography
Kadir Aydın Gündüz, Ph.D.,
Dr. Gunduz is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations at TOBB University of Economics and Technology. Having earned his Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from Koc University in 2017, he has been teaching comparative politics, methodology and Turkish politics courses at undergraduate and graduate levels at TOBB ETU since 2018. His research interests lie primarily in the areas of institutional change in political systems, comparative studies of democratization and democratic backsliding, political behavior in hybrid regimes, and Turkish politics.
Kerem Yıldırım, Ph.D.,
Dr. Yıldırım is an Assistant Professor in Political Science and Public Administration at Bilkent University, Turkey. He specializes in comparative politics, political behavior, and party politics, focusing on clientelism, party competition, and democratic accountability. His research has appeared in journals like Political Communication, Democratization, and Political Behavior. He has authored works on topics ranging from voter behavior to the political economy of public procurement, contributing to understanding Turkey’s political landscape and broader comparative political themes.