Customer Reviews

Non-Democratic Regimes: Theory, Government and Politics (Comparative Government and Politics)

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This book gives the reader an excellent coverage of all types and subtypes of non-democratic regimes.It is ideal for scholars and students who already have a basic knowledge of military ,party or personalist dictatorships.I was looking for a book on this field for a lot of time and i must admit that it covered me 100%.

A very comprehensive look at non-democratic regimes. The text covers almost every aspect/characteristic of non-democratic regimes, drawing on a huge range of scholars. It is rather like looking at a complete jigsaw puzzle, the reader is able to see the entire picture, rather than having a few pieces and needing to go and source the rest. The text is not just theory, but draws on concrete cases to back up the examples, and also employs many useful tables and exhibits. Although it is relatively easy to read, I would not recommend the book for people who do not have any background knowledge of dictatorship, but more for scholars and students, in addition to those who possess an interest and general knowledge in the subject. The author is a lecturer in Politics at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand; and has written two other books on dictatorship. If you want to buy a comprehensive book on non-democratic regimes, which you will be able to refer to time and time again, then this is for you.

Paul Brooker's Non-Democratic Regimes: Theory, Government and Politics reads like an extended literature review of non-democratic regimes. It is an extremely useful introduction to the field and literature on totalitarian and authoritarian governments. Brooker clearly outlines the major types of authoritarian regime (party, military, and personalist), as well as "subspecies" within each. He then discusses various issues arising with such regimes, including gaining power, maintaining control, and transitions to democracy. Within each chapter, he is careful to differentiate between the various types of regimes and point out similarities. As far as I can tell, Brooker never proposes any new theory or framework in this book, but that's just as well as his book fills a gap in the literature. Overall, you can't do much better if you want an overview of non-democratic regimes.

Just one note: there is a slightly revised version of this book, available at Non-Democratic Regimes: Second Edition.