Those members of class meetings who were backsliding, often joined Methodist penitent bands for counsel. They also taught that Christians could lose their salvation by backsliding or returning to sin. The United States, under some urgency to forestall any Eastern-bloc backsliding, accelerated its IWG Program. Biden has voiced concerns about Russia alleged backsliding on democratic reforms. The latter forms of backsliding entail the debilitation of democratic institutions from within. Russia has suffered democratic backsliding during Putin's tenure. Russia has suffered democratic backsliding during Putin's and Medvedev's tenures. It would confirm the WTO as a powerful shield against protectionist backsliding. Democratic backsliding occurs when essential components of democracy are threatened. Under Putin's leadership, some critics say Russia has experienced democratic backsliding. Democratic backsliding occurred in countries such as Hungary, Venezuela, and Turkey. Under 20 years of Vladimir Putin's leadership, Russia has experienced democratic backsliding. A 2011 study examined the effects of judicial independence in preventing democratic backsliding. Some say Israel is a democratic backsliding in the making. The Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus associates the term "lapsed Catholic" as one who is backsliding.