An expert and accessible exploration of the increasing number and influence of authoritarian regimes. It explains the realities of recent trends to 'autocratization', the tools these regimes use, what we can do to resist, and why we might even allow ourselves some optimism. 70% of the world's population lives under autocracy. Cases such as China and Russia are as prominent and urgent as ever, but authoritarianism is spreading across the globe. There are more openly authoritarian states than ever, democratic regimes are 'backsliding' into autocracy, and authoritarian values and practices are increasingly normalized. This trend is attracting attention not just in academia, but across the wider media, among politicians and policy makers, and NGOs and international business. Natasha Lindstaedt is a world-leading authority in the field. Her academic reputation is arguably unmatched. She's also engaged outside academia, and regularly works with international policymakers and organisations.
Natasha Lindstaedt a Professor of Government at the University of Essex and the Deputy Dean of Education in Social Sciences. She has extensive experience teaching in a number of areas including International Relations, Political Development, Violent Non-State Actors, State Building, Conflict and Middle East Politics. Her research interests focus on issues that intersect in global and comparative politics such as authoritarianism, democratic backsliding, human security and new forms of violence. She has consulted for various organizations including the European Union, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and the United Nations. Her recent books include Democracies and Authoritarian Regimes, and Democratic Decay.
Introduction Background What do we know? What should we do?
Natasha Lindstaedt, one of the finest experts in comparative authoritarianism worldwide, provides a thought-provoking synopsis of what we know about authoritarian regimes today. It is such an informative and nuanced tour d'horizon that I can only warmly recommend that you go and buy this book! -- Johannes Gerschewski Concise, insightful, full of illustrative examples, and beautifully written, Prof. Lindstaedt's book is an absolute must for anyone interested in understanding modern authoritarianism, its strategies of survival, the role of protest campaigns in destabilising such regimes and the (many) policy implications of these issues. -- Abel Escriba-Folch Dictators and dictatorships are an increasingly prominent part of the international landscape, yet their motivations and policies are poorly understood. Written by the utmost authority in the field, this brilliant book succinctly summarizes the state-of-art research on authoritarianism including on the new forms of autocracy and authoritarian behaviour. -- Alexander Baturo A useful primer on perhaps the most critical issue for the world's democracies: how the world seems to be sliding away from democracy and toward greater autocracy. Critical reading for those trying to better understand our present - and our future. -- Thomas Ambrosio
