There is no more important work in comparative politics in the last ten years than Competitive Authoritarianism. Its ideas completely disrupted conceptual expectations about democracy. Some of the intellectual currents existed before its publication. Indeed, Levitsky and Way had published an article which outlined their ideas as early as 2002 in the Journal of Democracy.... Continue Reading →
Before a complex topic like democracy can be mastered, it is necessary to understand elections. There is no other institution that has defined democracy like elections. There is no clearer way to understand majority sentiment than an election. And while democracy requires more than just the support of the majority, it is impossible to govern... Continue Reading →
It is hard to imagine many serious scholars have read Ryszard Legutko and became convinced in the fallacy of liberal democracy. Most read it because it provides insights into a worldview that is difficult for them to comprehend. Kind of like reading Mein Kampf. There is value in taking the time to understand different viewpoints... Continue Reading →
It has been said that anyone who knows only one country knows no countries. I know this is a famous quote from somebody I should remember but my mind is blanking like it so often does. As Montaigne complained, “My memory grows cruelly worse every day.” A background in China is necessary to a fundamental... Continue Reading →
