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Explaining Media Freedom Decline in Democracies

Research Project

Project/Area Number 17K03565
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Research Field Politics
Research InstitutionWaseda University

Principal Investigator

Kellam Marisa  早稲田大学, 政治経済学術院, 准教授 (30711866)

Project Period (FY) 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
Budget Amount *help
¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Keywordscomparative politics / media freedom / democracy / democratic backsliding / accountability / Comparative Politics / Media Freedom / Democracy / Democratic Backsliding / Accountability / Representation / political institutions
Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project focused on declines in the level of media freedom in democratic countries. The research conceptually and empirically distinguished media freedom from other aspects of democracy to avoid making tautological arguments. Ideally, in democracies, the media reinforce independent judiciaries and legislatures against executive overreach. However,
this research project argues that the decline of press freedom leads to a reduction in the independence of these government institutions and a decline in other aspects of democratic accountability. The findings demonstrate that declines in press freedom precede increases in electoral manipulation and decreases in institutional checks on executive power. The project also finds that changes in media freedom have lasting effects on democratic accountability over the long-run.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

This project contributes to the growing scholarly literature on democratic backsliding. Journalists, policymakers and citizens also worry about the state of democracy in their countries and around the world. This research advances our understanding of the process by which democracy deteriorates.

Report

(5 results)
  • 2020 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2019 Research-status Report
  • 2018 Research-status Report
  • 2017 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (12 results)

All 2019 2018 2017 Other

All Int'l Joint Research (3 results) Journal Article (2 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 1 results,  Open Access: 1 results) Presentation (6 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 5 results,  Invited: 1 results) Funded Workshop (1 results)

  • [Int'l Joint Research] Amherst College/University of Houston(米国)

    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] Indiana University/Clarkson University(米国)

    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] Indiana University(米国)

    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report
  • [Journal Article] Book Review of Citizenship and Contemporary Direct Democracy by David Altman, Cambridge University Press, 2019.2019

    • Author(s)
      Marisa KELLAM
    • Journal Title

      The Developing Economies

      Volume: 57(4) Issue: 4 Pages: 374-377

    • DOI

      10.1111/deve.12219

    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
  • [Journal Article] Media Freedom Decline in Democracies: Lessons from Latin America2018

    • Author(s)
      Marisa KELLAM
    • Journal Title

      CP: Newsletter of the Comparative Politics Organized Section of the American Political Science Association

      Volume: 28(2) Pages: 44-49

    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
    • Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Can Democracy Survive without Media Freedom?2018

    • Author(s)
      Marisa KELLAM
    • Organizer
      Waseda-Irvine Conference on Political Economy
    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] Can Democracy Survive without Media Freedom?2018

    • Author(s)
      Marisa KELLAM
    • Organizer
      World Social Science Forum
    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] “Can Democracy Survive without Media Freedom? Latin American Cases of Democratic Backsliding in Comparative Context.”2018

    • Author(s)
      Elizabeth A. STEIN and Marisa KELLAM
    • Organizer
      International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association
    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Reassessing the Empirical Relationship Between Democracy and Media Freedom: Do the Measures You Choose Affect the Answers You Get2017

    • Author(s)
      Marisa Kellam and Elizabeth A. Stein
    • Organizer
      Midwest Political Science Association
    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Does Decentralization Exacerbate Threats to Media Freedom in Latin America?2017

    • Author(s)
      Marisa Kellam and Elizabeth A. Stein
    • Organizer
      Political Communications Section, American Political Science Association
    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] “Can Democracy Survive without Media Freedom? A cross-national analysis of media freedom and democratic decay2017

    • Author(s)
      Marisa Kellam and Elizabeth A. Stein
    • Organizer
      American Political Science Association
    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Funded Workshop] Democracy in Latin America: Presidents, Legislatures, and Elections2019

    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report

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Published: 2017-04-28   Modified: 2022-02-21  

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