That it, it is essentially the idea of making newly formed democracies stable and secure, and immune against the threat of authoritarian regression. .
It is important to recognise that these definitions can simplify the concept greatly and perhaps only reflect consolidation in an ideal scenario. In reality the process of consolidation is more complex and there are a number of different areas that can be consolidated.
The area of consolidation that is probably most significant is that of "preventing the breakdown of democracy". This in essence, means preventing a state reverting to its original regimes such as a communist state becoming a democracy and then a communist state again. When a transition has taken place within a state, and a liberal democracy with free and fair elections has replaced an authoritarian regime, it is then that democratic actors cannot afford to relax. Instead, they must work to reduce the probability of persistent regime-threatening groups breaking down the democratic regimes previously introduced. An example of this type of consolidation can be easily found in Latin America. In Latin America, democratic actors have focussed on deviant groups such as the professionals of state violence and men-at-arms such as guerrillas, drug lords and violent street protestors, and also corrupted state officials as they look to prevent democratic regimes regressing. It follows that the elimination and neutralisation of these deviant groups represents the principal task of preventing the breakdown of democracy and democratic regimes.
Another area of democratic consolidation and one, which is closely linked to avoiding democratic breakdown, is the "prevention of democratic erosion" which is essentially the prevention of factors undermining the democracy causing it to erode. Whilst the breakdown of democracy refers to a dramatic and sudden relapse to authoritarian rule it is more common for new democracies to be faced with possible decay and incremental forms of erosion.