Normalcy Bias Enables Authoritarian Drift

People and elites often interpret continuity (temples open, holidays observed, institutions functioning) as proof that dangerous political shifts won't happen. That cognitive and cultural habit—normalcy bias—lets authoritarian actors exploit gradual changes until a tipping point arrives. — Framing normalcy bias as a key enabling mechanism highlights where democratic resilience needs strengthening: public literacy about slow‑moving threats, institutional transparency, and cultural signals that reveal rather than conceal rupture.