Standing up for Democracy? Explaining Citizens’ Support for Democratic Checks and Balances

Winners and losers of elections have different stakes in protecting democratic institutions. We provide new evidence for the effects partisanship economic performance on support checks balances acceptance their infringement. Using survey data from 26 European countries, we show that voters who feel close to a political party lost significantly more than other citizens. also find higher satisfaction with economy is associated lower balances. Our experiment Ukraine shows supporters opponents governing divergent evaluations reform potentially infringing independence judiciary. Those opposition such reforms less acceptable justified. Again, improved leads judicial reform. results confirm citizens’ contingent volatile.