Is COVID-19 a Threat to Liberal Democracy?

by Catherine E. De Vries in collaboration with University of Amsterdam, London School of Economics and  Temple University

Does the COVID-19 pandemic weaken the public’s support for fundamental civil liberties that are essential for democracy? Across a series of experiments conducted in the United States and the United Kingdom, we find that while people’s attitudes toward civil liberties are malleable, there appears to be relatively firm resistance to clear assaults on constitutional rights, such as censoring the press, depriving the accused of due process, banning protests, or indefinitely postponing elections --- even when partisan elites push for illiberal policies.

The Paper: "Is COVID-19 a Threat to Liberal Democracy?"