How Democracies Die

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, read by Fred Sanders.Two Harvard professors explain the dangerous world we face todayDemocracies can die with a coup d'etat - or they can die slowly. This happens most deceptively when in piecemeal fashion, with the election of an authoritarian leader, the abuse of governmental power and the complete repression of opposition. All three steps are being taken around the world - not least with the election of Donald Trump - and we must all understand how we can stop them.In How Democracies Die, Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt draw insightful lessons from across history - from the rule of General Augusto Pinochet in Chile to the quiet undermining of Turkey's constitutional system by President Recip Erdogan - to shine a light on regime breakdown across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Notably they point to the dangers of an authoritarian leader faced with a major crisis.Based on years of research, they present a deep understanding of how and why democracies die; an alarming analysis of how democracy is being subverted today in the US and beyond; and a guide for maintaining and repairing a threatened democracy, for governments, political parties and individuals. History doesn't repeat itself. But we can protect our democracy by learning its lessons, before it's too late.

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, read by Fred Sanders.Two Harvard professors explain the dangerous world we face todayDemocracies can die with a coup d'etat - or they can die slowly. This happens most deceptively when in piecemeal fashion, with the election of an authoritarian leader, the abuse of governmental power and the complete repression of opposition. All three steps are being taken around the world - not least with the election of Donald Trump - and we must all understand how we can stop them.In How Democracies Die, Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt draw insightful lessons from across history - from the rule of General Augusto Pinochet in Chile to the quiet undermining of Turkey's constitutional system by President Recip Erdogan - to shine a light on regime breakdown across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Notably they point to the dangers of an authoritarian leader faced with a major crisis.Based on years of research, they present a deep understanding of how and why democracies die; an alarming analysis of how democracy is being subverted today in the US and beyond; and a guide for maintaining and repairing a threatened democracy, for governments, political parties and individuals. History doesn't repeat itself. But we can protect our democracy by learning its lessons, before it's too late.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • "Comprehensive, enlightening, and terrifyingly timely."-The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice) WINNER OF THE GOLDSMITH BOOK PRIZE • SHORTLISTED FOR THE LIONEL GELBER PRIZE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY 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-and how ours can be saved. Praise for How Democracies Die "What we desperately need is a sober, dispassionate look at the current state of affairs. Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, two of the most respected scholars in the field of democracy studies, offer just that."-The Washington Post "Where Levitsky and Ziblatt make their mark is in weaving together political science and historical analysis of both domestic and international democratic crises; in doing so, they expand the conversation beyond Trump and before him, to other countries and to the deep structure of American democracy and politics."-Ezra Klein, Vox "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

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • "Comprehensive, enlightening, and terrifyingly timely."-The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice) WINNER OF THE GOLDSMITH BOOK PRIZE • SHORTLISTED FOR THE LIONEL GELBER PRIZE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY 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-and how ours can be saved. Praise for How Democracies Die "What we desperately need is a sober, dispassionate look at the current state of affairs. Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, two of the most respected scholars in the field of democracy studies, offer just that."-The Washington Post "Where Levitsky and Ziblatt make their mark is in weaving together political science and historical analysis of both domestic and international democratic crises; in doing so, they expand the conversation beyond Trump and before him, to other countries and to the deep structure of American democracy and politics."-Ezra Klein, Vox "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

I det 21. århundrede er demokratier verden over i fare som aldrig før. Men hvordan ser det ud, når et demokrati kollapser? Hvad kan vi lære fra verdenshistorien om tidligere demokratiers fald? Og hvad kan vi gøre for at bekæmpe en uhyggelig fremtidsvision og sikre os vores demokratiske rettigheder i fremtiden? Disse og andre presserende spørgsmål om demokratiets fremtid besvares i Steven Levitsky og Daniel Ziblatts anmelderroste debatbog, "How Democracies Die". I "How Democracies Die" ser Levitsky og Ziblatt fortiden efter i deres jagt på svar på vor tids politiske turbulenser. Med hjælp fra lærerige eksempler fra historien såsom Pinochets morderiske chilenske regime og Erdogan stille nedpilning af Tyrkiets magtstrukturer, forklarer Steven Levitsky og Daniel Ziblatt hvorfor demokratier kan kollapse og hvordan nutidige ledere såsom Donald Trump kan underkue demokratiske normer.

I det 21. århundrede er demokratier verden over i fare som aldrig før. Men hvordan ser det ud, når et demokrati kollapser? Hvad kan vi lære fra verdenshistorien om tidligere demokratiers fald? Og hvad kan vi gøre for at bekæmpe en uhyggelig fremtidsvision og sikre os vores demokratiske rettigheder i fremtiden? Disse og andre presserende spørgsmål om demokratiets fremtid besvares i Steven Levitsky og Daniel Ziblatts anmelderroste debatbog, "How Democracies Die". I "How Democracies Die" ser Levitsky og Ziblatt fortiden efter i deres jagt på svar på vor tids politiske turbulenser. Med hjælp fra lærerige eksempler fra historien såsom Pinochets morderiske chilenske regime og Erdogan stille nedpilning af Tyrkiets magtstrukturer, forklarer Steven Levitsky og Daniel Ziblatt hvorfor demokratier kan kollapse og hvordan nutidige ledere såsom Donald Trump kan underkue demokratiske normer.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - "Comprehensive, enlightening, and terrifyingly timely." -- The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice) WINNER OF THE GOLDSMITH BOOK PRIZE - SHORTLISTED FOR THE LIONEL GELBER PRIZE - NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY 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--and how ours can be saved. Praise for How Democracies Die "What we desperately need is a sober, dispassionate look at the current state of affairs. Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, two of the most respected scholars in the field of democracy studies, offer just that." -- The Washington Post "Where Levitsky and Ziblatt make their mark is in weaving together political science and historical analysis of both domestic and international democratic crises; in doing so, they expand the conversation beyond Trump and before him, to other countries and to the deep structure of American democracy and politics." -- Ezra Klein, Vox "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