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Updated: Jan 9, 2026
06:15
A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
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Restoring institutional confidence in backsliding democracies: Evidence from Mexico
Brett Bessen1, Susan Stokes2, Andres Uribe3
1Department of Political Science and International Relations, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64700, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
Summary
Backsliding leaders
Area of Science:
- Political Science
- Social Psychology
- Communication Studies
Background:
- Declining public confidence in institutions is a global democratic challenge.
- Backsliding leaders intentionally erode institutions supporting democratic accountability.
- Understanding the impact of such rhetoric is crucial for democratic resilience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if anti-institutional rhetoric from leaders decreases public confidence.
- To determine if rebuttals can restore public confidence in attacked institutions.
- To analyze these dynamics within the context of Mexican politics.
Main Methods:
- Text-as-data analysis of presidential rhetoric.
- Survey experiments to measure public confidence.
- Examination of counternarratives from non-partisan organizations.
Main Results:
- President López Obrador's rhetoric significantly attacked the national election oversight agency.
- Anti-institutional rhetoric demonstrably reduced public confidence.
- Counternarratives successfully restored public confidence, even among president's supporters.
Conclusions:
- Leaders' rhetoric can degrade democratic institutions and public trust.
- Strategic counternarratives can mitigate negative impacts and rebuild confidence.
- Findings offer pathways to counter democracy-degrading rhetoric and partisanship.
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