Abstract

Democracies and Authoritarian Regimes provides a broad overview of the key institutions and political dynamics in democracies and dictatorships, including access to the benefits and risks associated with democracy, and the growing challenges to it. It covers the full spectrum of political systems and aims to enhance understanding of the relevance of contemporary global trends, including the nature of democratic backsliding and authoritarian resurgence, the rise of populism and identity politics, and the impact of cultural and socio-economic drivers of democracy. Each chapter features a broad range of case studies complemented by boxes that illustrate key terms. The text is divided into four parts covering understanding democracy and authoritarianism, political dynamics of autocracies, the drivers of democracy and, finally, contemporary challenges to democracy.