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How Democracies Die Kindle Edition

by Steven Levitsky (Author), Daniel Ziblatt (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 6,409 ratings
Editors' pick Best History
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The urgent and influential guide to the forces that have undermined democracies across the globe—forces running rampant in the United States today—hailed as “a touchstone” (The New Yorker) that “comes at exactly the right moment” (The Washington Post)

“Comprehensive, enlightening, and terrifyingly timely.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)

“[Levitsky and Ziblatt] expand the conversation beyond Trump and before him, to other countries and to the deep structure of American democracy and politics.”—Ezra Klein

WINNER OF THE GOLDSMITH BOOK PRIZE • SHORTLISTED FOR THE LIONEL GELBER PRIZE • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, Time, Foreign Affairs, WBUR, Paste

Donald Trump’s presidency has raised a question that many of us never thought we’d be asking: Is our democracy in danger? Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt have spent more than twenty years studying the breakdown of democracies in Europe and Latin America, and they believe the answer is yes. Democracy no longer ends with a bang—in a revolution or military coup—but with a whimper: the slow, steady weakening of critical institutions, such as the judiciary and the press, and the gradual erosion of long-standing political norms. The good news is that there are several exit ramps on the road to authoritarianism. The bad news is that, by electing Trump, we have already passed the first one.

Drawing on decades of research and a wide range of historical and global examples, from 1930s Europe to contemporary Hungary, Turkey, and Venezuela, to the American South during Jim Crow, Levitsky and Ziblatt show how democracies die. Now the question is, can our democracy be saved?

Praise for How Democracies Die

“If you only read one book for the rest of the year, read How Democracies Die. . . .This is not a book for just Democrats or Republicans. It is a book for all Americans. It is nonpartisan. It is fact based. It is deeply rooted in history. . . . The best commentary on our politics, no contest.”—Michael Morrell, former Acting Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (via Twitter)

“A smart and deeply informed book about the ways in which democracy is being undermined in dozens of countries around the world, and in ways that are perfectly legal.”—Fareed Zakaria, CNN
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    January 16, 2018
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From the Publisher

The Washington Post says, “What we desperately need.”

The New York Times says, “A lucid and essential guide to what can happen here”

Ezra Klein, NPR, says, “[W]eaving together political sciences and historical analysis.”

Fareed Zakaria, CNN, says, “A smart and deeply informed book.”

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Levitsky and Ziblatt show how democracies have collapsed elsewhere—not just through violent coups, but more commonly (and insidiously) through a gradual slide into authoritarianism. . . . How Democracies Die is a lucid and essential guide to what can happen here.”—The New York Times

“The most important book of the Trump era was not Bob Woodward’s Fear or Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury or any of the other bestselling exposes of the White House circus. Arguably it was a wonkish tome by two Harvard political scientists, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, published a year into Donald Trump’s presidency and entitled How Democracies Die.”—The Economist

“If you want to understand what’s happening to our country, the book you really need to read is How Democracies Die.”—Paul Krugman

“Fair warning: reading Levitsky and Ziblatt will leave you very, very unsettled. They make a powerful case that we really and truly are in uncharted territory, living in a moment when the line between difficult times and dark times has blurred.”—Washington Monthly

“Carefully researched and persuasive . . . the authors show the fragility of even the best democracies and also caution politicians . . . who think they can somehow co-opt autocrats without getting burned. . . . How Democracies Die provides a guide for Americans of all political persuasions for what to avoid.”—USA Today

“Scholarly and readable, alarming and level-headed . . . the greatest of the many merits of Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt’s contribution to what will doubtless be the ballooning discipline of democracy death studies is their rejection of western exceptionalism.”—The Guardian

“[An] important new book.”—Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times

“The political-science text in vogue this winter is How Democracies Die.”—The New Yorker

“How Democracies Die studies the modern history of apparently healthy democracies that have slid into autocracy. It is hard to read this fine book without coming away terribly concerned about the possibility Trump might inflict a mortal wound on the health of the republic.... It is simplistic to expect boots marching in the streets, but there will be a battle for democracy.”—Jonathan Chait, New York magazine

“The great strength of Levitsky and Ziblatt’s How Democracies Die is that it rejects the exceptionalist account of US democracy. Their lens is comparative. The authors say America is not immune to the trends that have led to democracy’s collapse in other parts of the world.”—Financial Times

“A powerful wake-up call.”—Foreign Affairs

“The big advantage of political scientists over even the shrewdest and luckiest of eavesdropping journalists is that they have the training to give us a bigger picture.... [Levitsky and Ziblatt] bring to bear useful global and historical context . . . [showing] the mistakes democratic politicians make as they let dangerous demagogues into the heart of power.”—The Sunday Times

“If this were fiction, the thrills of this book would remind you of the thrills you had when you first read 1984, It Can’t Happen Here, The Plot Against America and The Handmaid’s Tale. If this were fiction, you could lie in the sand and enjoy the read. But this book is not fiction. And this book is not just about the past. And this book is not just about other countries. [It] should be on your reading list this summer.”—Tufts Now

“Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt offer one of the best forensic accounts available of the crimes against democracy in America.... The diagnosis is compelling, and their book is essential, even compulsive, reading.”—Survival: Global Politics and Strategy

“[How Democracies Die] is a stellar deep-dive into a series of modern democracies that ceased to be.”—Daily Kos

"Maybe have a drink before digging into this one. Levitsky and Ziblatt trace the fall of democracies throughout history with agonizing clarity, going right up to our current perilous moment.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Levitsky and Ziblatt are not entirely pessimistic . . . but they leave readers in no doubt that they should be worried about the state of American democracy.”—Slate

“Chilling . . . A provocative analysis of the parallels between Donald Trump's ascent and the fall of other democracies.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt have offered a brilliant diagnosis of the most important issue facing our world: Can democracy survive? With clinical precision and an extraordinary grasp of history, they point to the warning signs of decay and define the obligations of those who would preserve free government. If there is an urgent book for you to read at this moment, it is How Democracies Die."—E.J. Dionne Jr., co-author of One Nation After Trump

“Levitsky and Ziblatt are leading scholars of democracy in other parts of the world, who with great energy and integrity now apply their expertise to the current problems of the United States. The reader feels the intellectual excitement, and also the political warning, as the authors draw the connections from their own vast knowledge to the chaos that we experience each day.”—Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny

“We live in perilous times. Anyone who is concerned about the future of American democracy should read this brisk, accessible book. Anyone who is not concerned should definitely read it.”—Daron Acemoglu, co-author of Why Nations Fail

“Readers will not find an anti-Trump screed in How Democracies Die. The book is more erudite than alarmist . . . but that makes [Levitsky and Ziblatt’s] clarity on the risk of both Trump and wider political developments all the more powerful.”—California magazine

“All Americans who care about the future of their country should read this magisterial, compelling book, which sweeps across the globe and through history to analyze how democracies die. The result is an unforgettable framework for diagnosing the state of affairs here at home and our prospects for recovery.”—Danielle Allen, author of Our Declaration and Cuz

“Two years ago, a book like this could not have been written: two leading political scientists who are expert in the breakdown of democracy in other parts of the world using that knowledge to inform Americans of the dangers their democracy faces today. We owe the authors a debt of thanks for bringing their deep understanding to bear on the central political issue of the day.”—Francis Fukuyama, author of Political Order and Political Decay

“In this brilliant historical synthesis, Levitsky and Ziblatt show how the actions of elected leaders around the world have paved the road to democratic failure, and why the United States is now vulnerable to this same downward spiral. This book should be widely and urgently read as a clarion call to restore the shared beliefs and practices—beyond our formal constitution—that constitute the essential ‘guardrails’ for preserving democracy.”—Larry Diamond, author of The Spirit of Democracy

“Thorough and well-argued . . . the biggest strength of How Democracies Die is its bluntness of language in describing American history—a bluntness that often goes missing when we discuss our own past.”—Pacific Standard

“Required reading for every American . . . [How Democracies Die] shows the daily slings and arrows that can gradually crush our liberties, without the drama of a revolution or a military coup.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

We tend to think of democracies dying at the hands of men with guns. During the Cold War, coups d’état accounted for nearly three out of every four democratic break­downs, and more re­cently, military coups toppled Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in 2013 and Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014. In these cases democracy dissolved in spectacular fashion, through military power and coercion.

But there is another way to break a democracy. It is less dra­matic but equally destructive.

In Venezuela, for example, Hugo Chávez was a political outsider who railed against what he cast as a corrupt govern­ing elite, promising to build a more “authentic” democracy that used the country’s vast oil wealth to improve the lives of the poor. Skillfully tapping into the anger of ordinary Venezuelans, many of whom felt ignored or mistreated by the established political parties, Chávez was elected president in 1998. As a woman in Chávez’s home state of Barinas put it on election night, “Democracy is infected. And Chávez is the only antibiotic we have.”

When Chávez launched his promised revolution, he did so democratically. In 1999, he held free elections for a new constituent assembly, in which his allies won an overwhelming majority. It wasn’t until 2003 that Chávez took his first clear steps toward authoritarianism, stalling a referendum that would have recalled him from office. In 2004, the government blacklisted those who had signed the recall petition and packed the supreme court. The chavista regime grew more repressive after 2006, closing a major television station, arresting or exiling opposition politicians, judges, and media figures on dubious charges, and eliminating presidential term limits so that Chávez could remain in power indefinitely. After Chávez’s death a year later, his successor, Nicolás Maduro, won another questionable reelection. It was only when a new single-party constituent assembly usurped the power of Congress in 2017, nearly two decades after Chávez first won the presidency, that Venezuela was widely recognized as an autocracy.

This is how democracies now die. Blatant dictatorship—in the form of fascism, communism, or military rule—has dis­appeared across much of the world. Military coups and other violent seizures of power are rare. Most countries hold regular elections. Since the end of the Cold War, most democratic breakdowns have been caused not by generals and soldiers but by elected gov­ernments themselves. Like Chávez in Venezuela, elected leaders have subverted democratic institutions in Georgia, Hungary, Nicaragua, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Ukraine. Democratic backsliding today begins at the ballot box.
 
How vulnerable is American democracy to this form of breakdown? The foundations of our democracy are certainly stron­ger than those in Venezuela, Turkey, or Hungary. But are they strong enough? Answering such a question requires stepping back from daily headlines and breaking news alerts to widen our view, drawing lessons from the experiences of other democracies around the world and throughout history.

We know that extremist demagogues emerge from time to time in all societies, even in healthy democracies. The United States has had its share of them, including Henry Ford, Huey Long, Joseph McCarthy, and George Wallace. An essential test for democracies is not whether such figures emerge but whether political leaders, and especially political parties, work to prevent them from gaining power in the first place—by keeping them off mainstream party tickets, refusing to endorse or align with them, and when necessary, making common cause with rivals in support of democratic candidates.

Once a would‑be authoritarian makes it to power, democra­cies face a second critical test: Will the autocratic leader subvert democratic institutions or be constrained by them? America failed the first test in November 2016, when we elected a president with a dubious allegiance to democratic norms. How serious is the threat now? Many observers take comfort in our Constitution, which was designed precisely to thwart and contain demagogues like Donald Trump. Our Madisonian system of checks and balances has endured for more than two centuries. It survived the Civil War, the Great Depression, the Cold War, and Watergate. Surely, then, it will be able to survive Trump.

We are less certain. Historically, our system of checks and balances has worked pretty well— but not, or not entirely, because of the constitutional system designed by the founders. Democracies work best— and survive longer— where constitutions are reinforced by unwritten democratic norms. Two basic norms have preserved America’s checks and balances in ways we have come to take for granted: mutual toleration, or the understanding that competing parties accept one another as legitimate rivals, and forbearance, or the idea that politicians should exercise restraint in deploying their institutional prerogatives.

The erosion of our democratic norms began in the 1980s and 1990s and accelerated in the 2000s. By the time Barack Obama became president, many Republicans, in particular, questioned the legitimacy of their Democratic rivals and had abandoned forbearance for a strategy of winning by any means necessary. Donald Trump may have accelerated this process, but he didn’t cause it.

The weakening of our democratic norms is rooted in extreme partisan polarization— one that ex-tends beyond policy differences into an existential conflict over race and culture. And if one thing is clear from studying breakdowns throughout history, it’s that extreme polarization can kill democracies.

There are, therefore, reasons for alarm. Not only did Americans elect a demagogue in 2016, but we did so at a time when the norms that once protected our democracy were already coming unmoored. But if other countries’ experiences teach us how democracies can die at the hands of elected officials, they also teach us that breakdown is neither inevitable nor irreversible.

Many Americans are justifiably frightened by what is happening to our country. But protecting our democracy requires more than just fright or outrage. We must be humble and bold. We must learn from other countries to see the warning signs— and recognize the false alarms. We must be aware of the fateful missteps that have wrecked other democracies. And we must see how citizens have risen to meet the great democratic crises of the past, overcoming their own deep-seated divisions to avert breakdown. History doesn’t repeat itself. But it rhymes. The promise of history, and the hope of this book, is that we can find the rhymes before it is too late.
 
Reprinted from HOW DEMOCRACIES DIE Copyright © 2018 by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. Published by Crown Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B071L5C5HG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crown
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 16, 2018
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.8 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 299 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1524762957
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Best Sellers Rank: #35,504 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 6,409 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Steven Levitsky

    Steven Levitsky

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    Steven Levitsky is a Professor of Government at Harvard University. Levitsky’s research focuses on Latin America and the developing world. He is the author of Competitive Authoritarianism and is the recipient of numerous teaching awards. Levitsky has written for Vox and The New York Times, among other publications.

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  2. Daniel Ziblatt

    Daniel Ziblatt

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    Daniel Ziblatt is a Professor of Government at Harvard University and director of the "Transformation of Democracy" group at Berlin's Social Science Center (Germany). He is co-author of Tyranny of the Minority (2023), How Democracies Die (2018), Conservative Parties and the Birth of Democracy (2017), and Structuring the State: The Formation of Italy, Germany, and the Puzzle of Federalism (2006). He can be found on twitter @dziblatt

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4.6 out of 5 stars
6,409 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find this book an essential read that provides valuable historical examples and insightful analysis of political environments. The writing is well-qualified and logical, making it a highly recommended resource for those concerned about democracy. The political content receives mixed reactions, with some appreciating its scholarly approach while others note its left-leaning perspective. Customers describe the book as terrifying, reflecting its serious subject matter.

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191 customers mention "Readability"182 positive9 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as an excellent and essential read that is required reading for all Americans.

"Excellent book covering the most concerning development in international politics; and in particular, its effects on the U.S. democracy...." Read more

"Straight forward, easy to read and understand. Puts many of our recent events into a broader historic context. In many ways, frightening." Read more

"...Overall, "How Democracy Dies" is a timely and important book that provides a sobering analysis of the challenges facing democracies around the world...." Read more

"Easy read and provides great insight into what makes democracies die or survive...." Read more

125 customers mention "Information quality"123 positive2 negative

Customers praise the book's information quality, noting it is well-researched and packed with examples from history, providing important insights into political and historical processes.

"Well researched and argued, with two feet firmly planted in morals of inclusivity, democracy, and civility, this book is an excellent starting point..." Read more

"This is a well researched, documented and presented treatise on the history and current threat of authoritarianism and it's growth within our..." Read more

"Informative, easy to read, seems thorough, an erudite sort of alarm." Read more

"It was well written and researched. The subject of the book was completely depressing. I wonder if we can survive our current situation." Read more

85 customers mention "Insight"74 positive11 negative

Customers find the book insightful, providing terrific understanding of today's political environment and great lessons to learn.

"Well written and insightful. I wished we could require Trump’s 35% to read this.Well written by knowledgeable experts on the subject" Read more

"Well researched. Very readable. Insightful. Good advice for our times. I hope others (especially our political leaders) read this book." Read more

"This was a well-written, persuasive, and ultimately horrifying argument about the dangers of the current world situation...." Read more

"Thought provoking and applicable to current events...." Read more

48 customers mention "Writing quality"46 positive2 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting that it is well-reasoned and written by qualified scholars, with one customer highlighting its effective blend of history and political science.

"Well written with a wealth of information regarding the inner pinning of what goes on inside world governments, and especially our struggling nation...." Read more

"...The book is well written, the research is thorough, and the recommendations reasonable and accurate. That is why I highly recommend it." Read more

"This was a well-written, persuasive, and ultimately horrifying argument about the dangers of the current world situation...." Read more

"Very well written (and for audible version, spoken) and compelling story relevant to today." Read more

25 customers mention "Logical content"21 positive4 negative

Customers find the book's content well reasoned and logical, with one customer noting it provides clear calls to action.

"...It's not a feel good book it is a rational and informative book that makes you think and made me realize that I need to take action to actually be..." Read more

"Extremely well constructed and well argued. A superbly readable overview with strong examples, perfectly suitable for a nonspecialist...." Read more

"...I greatly appreciated the thoughtful analysis" Read more

"Succinct and well reasoned, this is a frighteningly plasible warning based on convincing historical of how our democracy is in danger of dying." Read more

18 customers mention "Content"17 positive1 negative

Customers find the book to be an excellent resource that is highly recommended for those concerned about democracy, with one customer noting it serves as a solid starting place for future republics.

"...not had a chance to read this book yet but it appears to be an excellent resource." Read more

"Highly recommended for anyone concerned that our form of government might not survive into the future...." Read more

"Great book for history buffs and those are trying to figure out where we went so wrong....." Read more

"This was a book club book and sparked a lot of discussion." Read more

44 customers mention "Political content"29 positive15 negative

Customers have mixed views on the political content of the book, with some appreciating its contributions to understanding American and world politics, while others find it left-leaning and biased.

"...with two feet firmly planted in morals of inclusivity, democracy, and civility, this book is an excellent starting point for the conversation about..." Read more

"...Very biased, and just another piece of left wing fear mongering." Read more

"...I dare all Americans to heed this call. "The egalitarianism, civility, sense of freedom, and shared purpose portrayed by E. B. White..." Read more

"History, Political Science, and current Events all rolled into one. Scary to anyone who can read and think for themselves simultaneously...." Read more

18 customers mention "Scariness level"8 positive10 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the scariness level of the book, with some finding it terrifying while others describe it as somewhat scary.

"A truly frightening book that shows how America is following in the footsteps of other countries that have given up democracy for authoritarianism:..." Read more

"Outstanding and Scary!..." Read more

"Scary book. Just like what is happening today. Found the beginning a bit to detailed and long. More concerned with our government or lack thereof." Read more

"Excellent, scary book. I bought a bunch of them and gave them away, couldn't help myself." Read more

A Thought-Provoking Look at the Fragility of Democracy
5 out of 5 stars
A Thought-Provoking Look at the Fragility of Democracy
Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt offer a compelling and deeply researched analysis of how democracies erode—not through sudden coups, but through gradual institutional decay, often at the hands of elected leaders. How Democracies Die draws on historical and global examples to show how political norms, not just written laws, are crucial for a functioning democracy. What I appreciated most about this book is its clarity. It’s not an overly academic read; the authors break down complex ideas in a way that’s accessible but still thought-provoking. The comparisons to historical cases—Chile, Venezuela, Hungary—help frame the challenges facing American democracy today. That said, I did feel at times that the book leaned a bit too much on comparisons to Trump, which, while relevant, could have been balanced with more bipartisan examples. Still, the overall message is important: democracies don’t collapse overnight, and the erosion of norms is something we should all be aware of, regardless of political affiliation. If you’re interested in political history, government, or just trying to make sense of the times we live in, this is definitely worth reading.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Dennis Merimsky
    5.0 out of 5 stars Democracy is Still in Danger
    Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Wherever you look Democracy is clearly under threat. Although there are now 123 democratic countries in the world, (out of 192) ; democratic values have clearly been eroded in many counties in the last decades. This book deals with the very real danger to democracy of authoritarianism , with particular emphasis on the United States, although there are many references to other countries. We are accustomed to think of democracies dying at the hands of generals, but the authors (Levitsky and Ziblatt) point out that we need to be alert because democracies may die at the hands of elected autocrats, demagogues who pay lip service to the idea of democracy while eroding its essence, bit by bit.
    They explain " Because there is no single moment—no coup, declaration of martial law, or suspension of the constitution—in which the regime obviously “crosses the line” into dictatorship, nothing may set off society’s alarm bells. Those who denounce government abuse may be dismissed as exaggerating or crying wolf. Democracy’s erosion is, for many, almost imperceptible."
    Political parties can serve as society's gatekeepers, keeping out charismatic outsiders but fear, opportunism, or miscalculation may lead them to welcome extremists into the mainstream, imperiling democracy. Hitler, Mussolini and Chavez were all handed over power by established politicians who overlooked the warning signs. The warning signs to spot an authoritarian are: attacking the democratic rules of the game e.g by refusing to accept credible election results, denying the legitimacy of opponents, encouraging violence and curtailing the civil liberties of opponents or the media.
    Constitutional checks and balances and the institutional separation of powers are not enough to stop a determined elected autocrat from subverting democracy. Germany’s well-designed Weimar constitution couldn't prevent Hitler's rise to power. No institution or constitution can be made fool-proof.. Elected autocrats can undermine democracy by capturing the referees - packing and “weaponizing” the courts , the police, the tax authorities, then buying off the key media and the private sector (or threatening them into silence), and finally creating national emergencies to justify changing the rules of politics and crippling their opponents.
    A strong democracy relies on shared values of mutual tolerance and institutional restraint among its politicians to treat each other as legitimate contenders of power and exclude extremists. Informal democratic norms based on mutual respect are vital to enable our institutions work fairly. Without them polarization and animosity lead to "constitutional hardball" where politics becomes a form of institutional combat and extremists gain the upper hand (e,g as they did in Argentina).
    According to Levitt and Ziblatt, the guardrails of American democracy have been weakened by the extreme party polarization by race and culture of the 21st century, with the Republicans becoming the party of the whites and evangelical Protestants , while the Democrats have become the party of ethnic minorities and immigrants. Behind the partisan animosity lies the status anxiety of the American whites who feel that the real America they know and love is disappearing because by 2044 a majority of the US population is forecast to be non-white.
    Levitt and Ziblatt see America's great challenge in building a multiethnic democracy with greater/ social and economic equality.
    This is an excellent and enjoyable book which diagnoses the political and historical processes which have weakened democracy. The only thing lacking is an analysis of the increasing attraction of authoritarian demagogues in our complex times. In an uncertain age, many people are attracted to demagogues offering simple but "fake" solutions. This is not just a phenomenon in the US but a world-wide problem. Democracy is still in danger and contending with the covid pandemic necessitates reducing our democratic liberties.
    43 people found this helpful
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  • salomita
    5.0 out of 5 stars Urgent read for those that still care about keeping democracy alive
    Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A thorough review of how democracies are challenged and what are the alternatives to face such challenges. An essential read for everyone interested in preserving freedom, civility and equality
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Gordon Silverman
    4.0 out of 5 stars It Can Happen Here
    Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Professors Levitsky & Ziblatt have crafted a well researched exploration of circumstances that challenge the stability of Democracies. With the help of a great many students they have produced a work that could serve as a text in a Political Science course. The “Questions & Topics for Discussions” section should be well received by faculty leaders.

    While there is much to digest, several key elements of sustainable Democracies are suggested:
    1. Four clues to identify an autocrat: rejects democratic rules of the body politic; denies legitimacy of opponents; tolerates or encourages violence; and willingness to curtail civil liberty. (Sounds familiar?)
    2. Mutual toleration of political adversaries & individual forbearance are essential for political stability.
    3. Freedom and equality are self-justifying values, but these are not self-executing.

    While I can understand and agree with the model they have proposed, I had the impression that it was built from the “top down”. Taking the “picture” of contemporary politics in the United States and using it to create the model. Then, it was applied to other global examples. This, as opposed to analyzing global examples and inducing a model. But, I give them the benefit of doubt as their analysis seems to fit the circumstances.

    What is most provocative is a need to define “freedom” and “equality” in the third element of a stable democracy. What “freedom” embraces would go a long way to defining the framework for success. (What comes to my mind might include: freedom of speech and expression; freedom of religious beliefs; freedom from want in all its forms; and perhaps most of all, freedom from fear)

    One final plea not directly relative to this thoughtful work: a required course in “Civics” for all citizens during their early education. The body politic might then be able to participate in our very complex human endeavor.

    Gordon Silverman, PhD
    Professor Emeritus, Electrical & Computer Engineering
    Manhattan College
    7 people found this helpful
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  • jp
    5.0 out of 5 stars a faire lire par tous!
    Reviewed in France on August 6, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    sans a priori, fondé sur des analyses rétionnelles, une belle démonstration de la fragilité de nos démocraties. quand les partis majoritaires commencent à tenir des propose haineux, l'autoritarisme n'ets plus très loin! la manipulation des masses est finalement chose simple
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  • Pittaro Biagio
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fragilità della democrazia.
    Reviewed in Italy on December 27, 2021
    Format: Mass Market PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Il saggio, pur focalizzato sulla democrazia americana e le sue difficoltà di funzionamento, offre anche una panoramica dei fallimenti dei regimi democratici dagli anni 30 ad oggi. Senz'altro è una lettura istruttiva ed altamente illuminante molto ben documentata.
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  • Evita
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beschreibt verschiedene historische Beispiele bis zur Gegenwart
    Reviewed in Germany on March 26, 2025
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    Lesenswert - sollten alle Politiker lesen!
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  • Carl Johan v S
    5.0 out of 5 stars How Democracies Die (2019) by Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt
    Reviewed in Sweden on April 29, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    En fantastiskt intressant och viktigt bok, speciellt med tanke på nuläget! Jag skulle till och med vilja säga att det är den viktigaste boken som släppts under Trump eran. Författarna lär oss viktig kunskap genom att ge oss exempel ifrån historiens angrepp på demokratin. Och vad vi tillsammans kan göra för att skydda och behålla vår demokrati ifrån att förstöras av de mörka krafterna som nu försöker dra oss tillbaka till fascismen från början på förra seklet. Läs den om du tycker det är viktigt att få leva i ett fritt och öppet samhälle. Och om du inte tycker så så är den här boken om möjligt ännu viktigare för just dig att läsa!
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    Carl Johan v S
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    How Democracies Die (2019) by Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt

    Reviewed in Sweden on April 29, 2025
    En fantastiskt intressant och viktigt bok, speciellt med tanke på nuläget! Jag skulle till och med vilja säga att det är den viktigaste boken som släppts under Trump eran. Författarna lär oss viktig kunskap genom att ge oss exempel ifrån historiens angrepp på demokratin. Och vad vi tillsammans kan göra för att skydda och behålla vår demokrati ifrån att förstöras av de mörka krafterna som nu försöker dra oss tillbaka till fascismen från början på förra seklet. Läs den om du tycker det är viktigt att få leva i ett fritt och öppet samhälle. Och om du inte tycker så så är den här boken om möjligt ännu viktigare för just dig att läsa!
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  • Ana
    5.0 out of 5 stars Delivery date and package
    Reviewed in Spain on June 10, 2024
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    Chegou em tempo e em perfeitas condições.
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