What makes democratic institutions resilient to crises? Applying a novel analytical framework to the case of Finland

Abstract

To curb the COVID-19 pandemic, governments took exceptional measures impacting citizens’ daily lives, the economy, and democratic institutions. The literature has already discussed the various measures and their short-term consequences for institutions and decision-making, highlighting the risk of democratic backsliding. However, little is known about how and why consolidated democracies survived the pandemic without substantial damage to their democratic institutions and practices. Drawing on the flourishing literature on democratic resilience, we contribute to theory-building through a novel analytical framework consisting of three interrelated and complementary dimensions that make a country resilient to crisis: institutions, instruments, and actors. The accumulation of unperfect layers offers adequate protection against backsliding. Examining the case of Finland, this article shows how institutional design, legal rules, and political culture combined to confer a high level of protection against the weakening of democracy.