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Beyond dismantling: Institutional hardball tactics and the policy process under democratic backsliding

Alexandre de Ávila Gomide & Michelle Morais De Sá E Silva

International Review of Administrative Sciences2026https://doi.org/10.1177/00208523261428593article
AJG 3ABDC B
Weight
0.50

Abstract

Based on the Institutional Hardball Framework (IHF), this article introduces five hardball tactics to explain how illiberal populist leaders reshape policy processes amid democratic backsliding. Departing from traditional theories of policy change—grounded in assumptions of liberal democracy, institutional stability, and pluralism—the IHF conceptualizes institutional hardball as the strategic weakening, circumvention, or instrumentalization of democratic constraints to advance political agendas. Illiberal populist leaders’ strategy of institutional hardball directly affects the administrative state, especially the bureaucracy, which places constraints on power as part of its professional duty. Drawing on comparative case studies from Brazil, Hungary, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, Turkey, and the United States, the article develops a typology of five hardball tactics: normative, administrative, deliberative, symbolic, and judicial. These tactics erode core mechanisms of policy resilience, thereby enabling policy dismantling, paralysis, and scapegoating. The article contributes to the literature by offering a systematic and operational framework to analyze policy processes under conditions of democratic backsliding and asymmetric polarization.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00208523261428593

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@article{alexandre2026,
  title        = {{Beyond dismantling: Institutional hardball tactics and the policy process under democratic backsliding}},
  author       = {Alexandre de Ávila Gomide & Michelle Morais De Sá E Silva},
  journal      = {International Review of Administrative Sciences},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00208523261428593},
}

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Beyond dismantling: Institutional hardball tactics and the policy process under democratic backsliding

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

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