Table of Contents

This atlas documents recurring patterns of democratic erosion. Each failure mode is grouped into one of three categories: Procedural Failures, Cultural & Structural Failures, and Systemic & Global Failures.

Procedural Failures: Breakdowns inside meetings and decision processes.

Agenda Manipulation

Backloaded Votes

Buried Minutes

Consent Calendar Abuse

Emergency Pretexts

Gatekeeping Committees

Information Asymmetry

Silence Strategy

Stacked Committees

Symbolic Hearings

Walking Quorum

Weaponized Rules

Cultural & Structural Failures: Erosions of norms and participation that weaken institutions over time.

Civic Apathy

Civic Illiteracy

Delegation Without Oversight

Delegitimizing Opposition

Financial Leverage

Gerrymandering & Rule Rigging

Judicial or Oversight Capture

Misinformation Ecosystems

Normalization of Corruption

Personality Cults

Rule Erosion by Precedent

Voter Suppression / Barriers to Participation

Systemic & Global Failures: Large-scale distortions that reshape governance at its core.

Crony Appointments

Emergency Creep

Media Capture

Opaque Funding

Polarization Spiral

Privatization of Public Functions

Systemic Weakening of Guardrails

Veto Point Overload

Countermeasures

Resilience

Resources