Media inquiries: I can be contacted by email: suthan@ps.au.dk
Personal website: https://suthan.dk/
One of the most acute challenges in contemporary Western democracies is citizens’ willingness to accept undemocratic behavior. When Donald Trump attempts to overturn the 2020 US presidential election, the Law and Justice Party packs the Polish Supreme Court, or Binyamin Netanyahu’s government in Israel attempts to immunize itself from judicial review, they often do so with firm backing from their political supporters. Most citizens hold strong democratic values, but when their political side acts undemocratically, forcing them to choose between politics and democratic principles, most stick to politics. My current research examines (1) why ordinary citizens act this way, (2) how they think about these issues, and (3) what we can do to strengthen democratic commitments.
