From the Varieties of Democracy to the defense of liberal democracy: V-Dem and the reconstitution of liberal hegemony under threat

In recent years, democracy has been facing increasing challenges. How comparative regime research responded? Focusing on the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project, this paper argues that perception serious threats to in general and liberal norms particular given rise a convergence around conception democracy, reversing previous turn towards recognising its conceptual contestability. tracing V-Dem’s discursive from contestation decontestation reconstructs two mechanisms concern ways which academic relates outside world have jointly pushed V-Dem scholars embracing unequivocally conceptions type change. As response crisis gradual abandonment pluralist conceptualisation is understandable but also deeply problematic as it contributes downplaying inherent limitations democracy.