Conceptual and factual analysis of the process of democratic backsliding: A comparative analysis on the examples of Türkiye and Poland

The democratic backsliding has become a phenomenon in recent years, and it has been widely impacting the democracies in the world. It has even been seen that the most advanced democracies cannot protect themselves from this effect. This study attempts to determine why democratic backsliding has occurred and to analytically examine it in the examples of Turkey and Poland, through a comparative, reproductive, and system approach. For this reason, democracy is tackled through a systematic approach. From a more general perspective and a system approach, the primary aim of this study is to try to understand 'why' democratic backsliding has become and to contribute to the theoretical dimension of democratic backsliding. In this context, the main argument of the thesis is that the democratic backsliding is a result of the disorder that occurs in a democratic system mainly due to the tension between the actor and the structure, together with the increase in entropy, that it has a chronic character and is also a path-dependence process, and that this process evolves towards a certain stage by passing through certain stages and critical junctures. Indeed, this study has indicated that the problems that begin in the democratic system and create the phenomenon called 'democratic backsliding' today stem from the excessive pressure of actor-structure struggle which starts through the transition to democracy. It develops with the consolidation of the democratic system and gradually develops and deepens. In the system dimension of the study, the democratic system design has been developed by utilizing David Easton's political system theory. To further deepen the analytical dimension of the designed system, an analogical relationship was established between the democratic system and the universe, and it was accepted that the democratic system has a structure that functions similarly to the universe and that there is entropy in the democratic system as in the universe. However, the democratic system is not a closed system like the universe. On the contrary, it is a dissipative structure, open, living, and negentropic like the political system. It is considered that when energy is given to the democratic system, especially through participation, from outside - in other words, when steps are taken to strengthen the democratic system - the entropy in the system will decrease and the democratic system will regain its homeostatic balance, which can slow down the democratic backsliding. As a result, democratic backsliding is not a phenomenon that can be defined as a negative aspect observed in one or more of the basic characteristics of democracy. This study has shown that the existence of entropy inherent in the democratic system will continue to face this phenomenon in the future, whether it is a consolidated or unconsolidated democracy. The most problematic issue for unconsolidated democracies is that this process is prolonged due to the inability to manage it correctly, and this situation increases the entropy in the democratic system to an unmanageable level, the system closes itself, the country becomes authoritarian and then faces the threshold of autocracy. What protects consolidated democracies from all these risks is the open, negentropic structure in their democratic systems and the healthy interaction of the environment/society with the democratic system.