Democratic erosion has become one the most important challenges of the  21st century. Around the world, many democracies have experienced substantial declines in free and fair electoral competition, respect for the rule of law and checks and balances, and/or stable protections for basic political and civil liberties. What are the common patterns that characterize democratic erosion across countries and over time? And what, if any, are the common factors driving the recent wave of democratic backsliding?  Susan Stokes, Tiffany and Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, will address these topics in this year’s Cutler Lecture Series, which we be open to the public and held on Tuesday, February 11, at 5pm in 1400 Wegmans Hall. Professor Stokes in one of the world’s leading experts on democracy and the author of several books, including: Mandates and Democracy: Neoliberalism by Surprise in Latin America; Brokers, Voters, and Clientelism: The Puzzle of Distributive Politics; As well as her forthcoming book,  The Backsliders: Why Leaders Undermine Their Own Democracies.