Antidemocratic

Antidemocratic describes actions, policies, ideologies, or systems that oppose or undermine the principles and practices of democracy. This opposition can manifest in various ways, including suppressing individual rights, limiting political participation, centralizing power in a few hands, advocating for authoritarian rule, or manipulating electoral processes. antidemocratic forces often prioritize the interests of a select group over the will of the people, disregard the rule of law, and foster environments of intolerance and repression. The term is used to critique those behaviors, with the core being the lack of respect for a democratic society.

Antidemocratic meaning with examples

• The new law, which restricted freedom of speech and assembly, was widely condemned as antidemocratic by human rights organizations. They argued that the law violated fundamental democratic principles and sought to silence dissent, creating an environment of fear and suppressing the rights of citizens to voice their opinions and gather peaceably. This suppression highlighted a dangerous trend.
• The military coup, which ousted the elected government and installed a junta, was a blatant antidemocratic act. The coup leaders dismantled democratic institutions, suspended the constitution, and curtailed civil liberties, replacing the democratic process with authoritarian rule and causing severe limitations and a setback to democracy.
• The proposed constitutional amendment, which would grant the president unchecked power, faced strong opposition as an antidemocratic maneuver. Critics warned that it would concentrate too much authority in one person, undermining the system of checks and balances and creating conditions conducive to abuse of power. This action would have weakened democratic values.
• The use of disinformation campaigns and electoral fraud to influence elections is considered an antidemocratic practice. Such actions seek to manipulate the outcome of democratic processes, undermine public trust in institutions, and deny the people their right to choose their representatives freely and fairly, and is the worst type of election interference.