Democratic Backsliding Research Hub
V-Dem • ERT Episodes • BTI Governance • DEED Events
Latin America 1990–2024
Nicaragua
Polyarchy: 0.178
Change: -0.487
Status: SEVERE
Episode:
Autocratization 2006-2024 (ONGOING)
El Salvador
Polyarchy: 0.406
Change: -0.059
Status: CRISIS
Episode:
Dem 2006-14 → Auto 2018-24
Costa Rica
Polyarchy: 0.875
Change: -0.020
Status: STABLE
Episode:
No active episodes
Guatemala
Polyarchy: 0.549
Change: +0.122
Status: IMPROVING
Episode:
Auto 2018-22 (ENDED)
How Four Sources Work Together
Each source reveals what the others cannot. Combined, they provide complete institutional, temporal, governance, and event-level understanding of democratic change.
📊 V-Dem Indicators
Shows: THE NUMBERS – polyarchy declined -0.487
Coverage: 24 LA countries, 1990–2024 (annual)
📅 ERT Episodes
Shows: WHEN – autocratization began 2006
Coverage: Episode dates with start/end years
🏛️ BTI Governance
Shows: VALIDATION – score 2.95/10 confirms
Coverage: Independent assessment using different methodology
🎯 DEED Events
Shows: WHAT – media repression, opposition arrests
Coverage: 483 documented events (2001–2024)
Nicaragua Example
| Source | Finding |
|---|---|
| V-Dem | Polyarchy: 0.665 (1990s) → 0.178 (2020s) = -0.487 |
| ERT | Autocratization episode 2006–2024 (ONGOING) |
| BTI | Democracy score 2.95/10 (lowest in region) |
| DEED | 483 events; 49.9% “symptoms” (institutional decline) |
DEED: Domestic Events Data
Specific documented democratic events from 2001–2024. Shows exactly what happened: media closures, opposition arrests, constitutional changes, civil society mobilization.
| Country | Total Events | Recent 2023-24 | Top Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicaragua | 483 | 158 | Media Repression (81) |
| Guatemala | 236 | 60 | State Democratization (38) |
| Honduras | 155 | 41 | Media Repression (28) |
| El Salvador | 115 | 74 | Curtailed Civil Liberties (14) |
| Costa Rica | 91 | 28 | Increase in Civil Liberties (14) |
⚠️ Important Disclaimer
This hub integrates four independent data sources using different methodologies. All sources involve expert judgment. Use with awareness of limitations.
V-Dem Project v15
Citation: Coppedge et al., 2024
License: CC-BY-4.0
Institutional democracy indicators
Episodes of Regime Transformation
Citation: Lindberg et al., 2024
License: CC-BY-4.0
Episode dates and outcomes
BTI 2024
Citation: Bertelsmann Foundation, 2024
License: Research use permitted
Governance assessment
DEED v7
Citation: Gleditsch & Ward, 2024
License: Research use
Specific events data