Steven Levitsky Books
Steven Levitsky is a professor of government at Harvard University specializing in comparative politics and Latin American studies.
Known for: How Democracies Die
Books by Steven Levitsky
How Democracies Die
In this influential work, political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt examine how democracies around the world have historically collapsed—not through violent coups, but through the gradual erosion of democratic norms. Drawing on examples from Europe, Latin America, and the United States, the authors argue that democracies die when elected leaders subvert the very institutions that brought them to power. They identify key warning signs of authoritarian behavior and explore how citizens and institutions can defend democracy from within.
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Warning Signs of Authoritarian Behavior
Every democratic system faces moments when ambitious leaders test its limits. Across decades of research, we found that the earliest warning signs of authoritarian behavior are surprisingly consistent. They come not as coups, but as subtle changes in attitude and language. In our framework, four key...
From How Democracies Die
Historical Patterns of Democratic Breakdown
History is a stern but illuminating teacher. In studying numerous cases—from interwar Europe to twentieth-century Latin America—we discovered that democracies rarely fall all at once. They rot in stages, often beginning with leaders who were freely elected. Adolf Hitler, Hugo Chávez, Recep Tayyip Er...
From How Democracies Die
About Steven Levitsky
Steven Levitsky is a professor of government at Harvard University specializing in comparative politics and Latin American studies.
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Steven Levitsky is a professor of government at Harvard University specializing in comparative politics and Latin American studies.
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