How Democracies Die:

By: Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt

Page number: 231

Originally published: January 2018

"It is an idea which hasn't been disproved yet, a song the words of which have not gone bad." (pg. 231)

Dr. Levitsky and Dr. Ziblatt have observed a shift in the way democracies experience breakdowns around the globe. While democracies were immobilized by blatant dictatorships before, their breakdown has been more unobtrusive in recent years.

Before, democracies commonly failed in a manner that was easy to spot. The authoritarian figure usually got into power via an abrupt and violent strike. The regime declared itself the only force, the constitution was openly disregarded, and courts shut down. This manner of political despotism is undisguised.

In recent years, however, the decline of democracies has not been with the classic coup d’etat. Now, democracies experience breakdowns at the hands of elected officials who begin to turn against the very system that brought them to power. There is no show of violence, the elections continue, and the authoritarian leader usually claims to be democratic. Commonly, it takes years for the general public to notice that the leader who insisted that he be the one to protect democratic values is the same leader who executed all his power against it. Although the institutions still seem to be in place, the democratic government ceases to function under such a leader.

In the book, the authors observe what causes a democracy to fail and what elements are essential for its existence. The book focuses on Trump’s presidency and the danger he possessed to the US democracy. It compares the circumstances of past democratic failures to the political stance of the US in 2018. It shares insight into what the authors call the "guardrails of democracy". It reminds the reader that the US is not immune to the threats of authoritarianism, and the growing extremism and polarization might be deadly for our democracy.

Chapter 1: Fateful Alliances

Chapter 2: Gatekeeping in America

Chapter 3: The Great Republican Abdication

Chapter 4: Subverting Democracy

Chapter 5: The Guardrails of Democracy

Chapter 6: The Unwritten Rules of American Politics

Chapter 7: The Unraveling

Chapter 8: Trump against Guardrails

Chapter 9: Saving Democracy

personal rating: 10/10