Authoritarian Contagion: The Global Threat to Democracy

The 21st century has not seen the triumph of democracy that some predicted but instead, in many cases, a turn towards authoritarian forms of government as an imagined solution to the many crises facing humanity. This innovative and important book draws on examples from around the world to examine the spread of draconian and nationalistic forms of government: a lurch towards 'authoritarian protectionism' which observes a simple maxim, that 'the world may end for others, but not for us'. While there is hope that the COVID-19 crisis could lead to a reinvigoration of democracy and a new economic agenda, there is also the risk of a further slide towards authoritarian rule and an urgent need for democratic renewal and change to combat this. The novel conceptualization offered in this book will give readers a new and deeper insight into the changing nature of the authoritarian threat to democracy - and how it might be overcome.

Author: Luke Cooper
Publisher: Bristol University Press
Published: 06/23/2021
Pages: 160
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.42lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.40d
ISBN13: 9781529217797
ISBN10: 1529217792
BISAC Categories:
- Political Science | Political Ideologies | Nationalism & Patriotism
- Political Science | Political Ideologies | Democracy
- Political Science | Geopolitics

About the Author
Luke Cooper is a consultant researcher based at LSE IDEAS, the foreign policy think tank at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He was previously a Visiting Fellow on the Europe's Futures programme at the IWM (Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna) and is currently researching European politics and the global rise of authoritarianism. He runs a podcast called the Another Europe is Possible Podcast, with Zoe Williams of The Guardian.