How democratic backsliding impacts security and development in El Salvador

Abstract: The security and development nexus outlines the interdependence between security and development, this theoretical framework has been used in peacebuilding efforts around the world and the idea of the concept is that both security and development reinforce each other, more security is expected to create more development and vice versa. If a society is riddled with poverty and economic despair, insecurity will follow as a result, and likewise an economy will not be able to grow and flourish if a secure environment is not applied. Both security and development are key to secure a sustainable peace in countries that are ravaged by civil war, this security and development nexus is today consensus in the community of peace of development. Development and security are reinforcing each other in both a positive and a negative circle, higher levels of security leads to higher levels of development and vice versa. El Salvador is a country plagued by underdevelopment and grave security concerns. Recently the country has managed to heavily increase its levels of security from criminal gangs, although this has come at the expense of the country's democratic structure, which has been undermined by the government. This thesis used the concept of democratic backsliding as a theory, which manifested in El Salvador. The study has also utilized the security and development nexus to analyze the connections between security and development in El Salvador. The study confirms the connection that the nexus outlines, which can be observed in El Salvador. Security has improved and the economy has continued to grow at a moderate pace. The nexuses between security, democracy and development have been examined in this study, and our research indicates that all three concepts together don't enforce each other positively in the case of El Salvador. This study has been utilizing both qualitative and quantitative sources of information.