Global South democracies fifty years after the third wave

contemporary challenges

Abstract

The objective of this research is to analyze contemporary processes of de-democratization and democratic breakdowns, with an emphasis on the Global South. To achieve this objective, the study first analyzes how the main material and narrative changes in the global order affect democracies in the Global South. Secondly, it examines how digital technologies have reconfigured the public sphere and how they have been instrumentalized at both national and global levels to promote authoritarianism in the Global South. The article argues that the decline of democratic powers, such as the United States and the European Union, alongside the new dynamism of authoritarian actors like China and Russia, have transformed the demonstration and diffusion effects of political systems. Digital technologies have also contributed to the rise of authoritarianism. While these tools are not inherently authoritarian, authoritarian governments—especially China—have been highly assertive in their goal to cooperate and project their power globally through them. Furthermore, digital technologies have blurred the lines between national and international public spheres, making political systems more vulnerable to global dynamics. Most countries in the Global South are particularly vulnerable to these dynamics due to their technological dependence, the digital divide, and weak civil and governmental infrastructure.