Category: Reviews

Why Social Revolutions Produce Durable Authoritarianism

Durable Authoritarianism

Become a Patron! Preorder Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way's Revolution and Dictatorship: The Violent Origins of Durable Authoritarianism here. Revolutions and Durable Authoritarianism Revolutionary governments capture the imagination. Their origins have mythic qualities. Those involved become heroes and villains of epic proportions. Moreover, the regimes they establish frequently survive for generations. Indeed, most of the revolutionary... Continue Reading →

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How to Resist Democratic Backsliding

Resist Democratic Backsliding

  Become a Patron! Preorder Laura Gamboa's Resisting Backsliding: Opposition Strategies against the Erosion of Democracy here. How to Resist Democratic Backsliding Laura Gamboa makes bold claims in a new book on democratic backsliding. The past few years have seen an explosion in the number of books on democratic decline and breakdown. Scholars have already made... Continue Reading →

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Pluralism and its Complications for Democracy

Pluralism

  Become a Patron! Pluralism in Democracy Robert Dahl saw pluralism as a foundation of democracy and a challenge to democracy. The presence of independent organizations represent the freedom of association. They also provide opportunities to decentralize power throughout society. However, the growth of organizations also creates new centers of power that impose their influence... Continue Reading →

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Pisano Reimagines Politics in Staging Democracy

Staging Democracy

Become a Patron! Staging Democracy The distinction between democracy and autocracy has become difficult to ascertain with the proliferation of so many hybrid regimes around the world. Most autocratic regimes hold multiparty elections. Of course, they are neither free nor fair. Nonetheless, they make efforts to demonstrate some form of electoral legitimacy. Moreover, the unfairness... Continue Reading →

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Is This Still a Hot Peace?

From Cold War to Hot Peace

Become a Patron! Hot Peace Perhaps the book Michael McFaul is most recognized for is From Cold War to Hot Peace. It's his personal memoir from his time as the American ambassador to Russia. But like I said on the podcast it also provides a chronicle of US-Russo relations during a time of transition. McFaul begins... Continue Reading →

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Power and Purpose Nearly Twenty Years Later

Power and Purpose

Become a Patron! Power and Purpose In the recent interview with Michael McFaul and Robert Person, we mention two different books written by Michael McFaul. It's likely you have read his most recent book From Cold War to Hot Peace. But we also mention an older book called Power and Purpose. McFaul coauthored this book with James... Continue Reading →

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Corruption is Transnational

Transnational Corruption

Become a Patron! Central Asia and Transnational Corruption A theme of the podcast has become the blurred line between national and international politics. Ronald Deibert explained how autocrats use technology to repress opponents even after they flee their country. A few years ago Christopher Walker coined the term sharp power. Walker writes sharp power "involves... Continue Reading →

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Nested Games

The Nested Games of Brexit

Become a Patron! The Nested Games of Brexit It's typical to talk about a political calculus, but less common to think about politics like calculus. A common misconception about politicians is they care about public opinion. This is a half-truth. They do care about what voters think, but they don't care about the totality of... Continue Reading →

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Institutional Weakness in Hard Places

Institutional Weakness

Become a Patron! Institutional Weakness I learned about institutional weakness for the first time from a book called The Politics of Institutional Weakness in Latin America. Initially, I thought it was just another name for state capacity. But Mala Htun and Francesca Jensenius point out, "Weak institutions are not just a matter of weak state... Continue Reading →

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Introducing Democracy in Hard Places

Democracy in Hard Place

Become a Patron! Democracy in Hard Places Yesterday I kicked off a series of episodes focused on democracy in hard places. The first episode featured Dan Slater in a discussion about democracy in Indonesia. The conversation loosely focused on a chapter Dan wrote in a forthcoming book called Democracy in Hard Places. It's a fascinating examination of... Continue Reading →

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