Democracy, Populism, and Authoritarianism

Catalog description

Following the spread of democracy around much of the world in the late 20th century, patterns of democratic erosion or ?backsliding? have become commonplace since the early 2000s. In most cases, democracy has been threatened not by military coups or revolutionary movements, but rather by elected leaders and parties who have manipulated the law and democratic institutions to introduce some form of authoritarian rule. In some countries, populist leaders who mobilize mass support by challenging the political establishment have concentrated powers in their own hands and weakened democratic checks and balances. This course tries to understand how and why these patterns of democratic backsliding occur, drawing examples from countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America as well as the United States. (GOVT-CP)