Democratic backsliding

Democratic backsliding is when a country that allows people to vote and voice their opinion starts to take away their freedom and rights. It's like if a place allowed you to play in the park, but then someone came and said you couldn't play anymore. That would be democratic backsliding. It can happen when leaders of a country come into power and start to stop people from having a say in how the country is run. They might get rid of the freedom of speech, or the freedom of the press, or the right to vote. All these rights are important for a democracy, and when they are taken away, it means that the government does not respect the people anymore.