The Accountability Dilemma: Experimental Evidence from Brazil’s Democratic Reckoning with Fernando Bizzarro and Fernando Ojesto

This episode features Fernando Bizzarro, assistant professor of political science at Boston College, and Fernando Ojesto, Kellogg Institute guest scholar,  exploring the “accountability dilemma” through the case of Brazil and the legal actions against former President Jair Bolsonaro. Drawing on survey data from 5,800 citizens, the conversation looks at how holding illiberal leaders accountable can reduce their public support – but also trigger backlash against democratic institutions. The episode highlights the difficult trade-offs democracies face when trying to defend themselves in highly polarized contexts.

 

In this episode of Global Stage, host Fernando Ojesto, a Kellogg Institute guest scholar, speaks with Fernando Bizzarro, assistant professor of political science at Boston College, about his research on what he calls “the accountability dilemma.” Drawing on Brazil’s legal reckoning with former president Jair Bolsonaro, Bizzarro explores what happens after democracies survive a period of illiberal rule and then face the difficult task of holding former leaders accountable for attacks on democratic institutions.

Bizzarro explains that accountability can strengthen democracy by signaling that efforts to undermine elections, institutions, or constitutional limits are unacceptable. But it can also produce backlash: when courts or political elites punish an illiberal leader, they may appear to confirm that leader’s long-standing narrative that “the establishment” is out to get them. This creates a trap for democratic institutions, which must weigh the costs of inaction against the risks of further polarizing public opinion.

The conversation turns to Bizzarro’s survey research in Brazil, which examined how nearly 6,000 Brazilians responded to information about Bolsonaro’s conviction by electoral courts and criticism from political allies. The findings reveal the paradox at the heart of the dilemma: learning about court accountability made some voters less supportive of Bolsonaro, but it also reduced trust in courts and weakened support for certain democratic norms. In other words, accountability can move citizens away from an illiberal leader while also feeding skepticism toward the institutions holding him or her accountable.

The episode closes with reflections on Brazil’s democratic trajectory and lessons for other polarized democracies. Bizzarro expresses cautious optimism about Brazil, noting that its institutions showed resolve and possessed tools to limit Bolsonaro’s direct return to power. At the same time, he warns that other democracies may face sharper versions of the same dilemma, especially where polarization is deeper or institutions are less equipped to respond. He also offers advice to graduate students: read broadly, study history, and stay curious about cases beyond one’s own country or immediate research agenda.