<![CDATA[The degradation of contemporary democratic quality has increasingly manifested through the rise of digital populism and the declining level of public trust in state institutions. This study aims to examine how populist discourse constructed in social media shapes citizens’ perceptions of democratic legitimacy and contributes to the erosion of institutional trust. A qualitative descriptive–interpretive approach was applied, drawing on data from active social media users, civil society activists, academics, and journalists. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, digital document analysis, and non-participant observation of discursive interactions in online political spaces. Thematic analysis indicates that digital populism operates as a sphere for articulating public dissatisfaction with political elites and democratic procedures, expressed through moralistic narratives, issue simplification, and institutional delegitimation. The circulation of biased information and echo-chamber dynamics reinforces structural distrust and weakens procedural democratic legitimacy. These findings reveal that democratic backsliding occurs within the domains of discourse, political perception, and citizens’ trust relations toward public institutions.]]>
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