How Democracies Die

How Democracies Die (Crown, 2018) is a nonfiction book by political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. The authors, who are both professors at Harvard, explore how American democracy is threatened by examining past examples of democratic breakdown. In doing so, they demonstrate how since the end of the Cold War, most democracies die not through violent overthrow of government but a gradual weakening of democratic norms and institutions. Using these insights from history, as well as tools of political science, the authors diagnose the threat facing the United States in the 21st century. After publication, the book was a New York Times best-seller, a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice, and one of Newsweek’s “Best Books of the Year So Far” in 2018.

The book is structured as nine essays, each charting a different element of democratic breakdown. The first few essays detail how democracies in other countries were undermined by autocratic leaders, and how American democracy avoided that fate. Later chapters explore how the United States is now at risk.

In Chapter 1 the authors describe how past instances of democratic breakdown started with an incumbent aligning themselves with a popular outsider, in the hopes of capitalizing on their appeal while containing their influence. In this kind of situation, an insurgent candidate can appear as a tool to secure a politician’s position against challengers from other parties. Instead, it is the insurgent who gains the most, by gaining legitimacy in the public eye. But politicians can avoid this trap, first by identifying a potential autocrat—using the “litmus test” they’ve developed to assess politicians—and then by following the example of countries like Belgium and Finland in the 1930s, and Austria in the 20th century. In these cases establishment politicians stymied the rise of extremist candidates by working with rivals, even though it meant political losses in the short term.

In Chapters 2 and 3 the authors examine how American democracy has kept extremist candidates at bay, which leads to a discussion of the role of political parties. American democracy has experienced its share of would-be autocrats, they note. But such candidates were prevented from assuming power by the gatekeeping function of political parties. By the 1960s, however, changes to the primary system began to allow more populist candidates to slip through. With one of these candidates, Donald Trump, Republicans failed to execute their gatekeeping function, despite clear authoritarian tendencies; in fact, the authors note that Trump tests positive for every criteria on their litmus test for autocrats.

In Chapters 4 and 5 the authors explore the role of institutions and norms in preserving democracy. Institutions such as courts are supposed to keep autocratic leaders in check, but they can be worn down in small steps, often under the guise of improving democracy. Norms are equally important and vulnerable to subversion by autocrats. The authors focus on two in particular—mutual toleration and institutional forbearance—and argue that that “some of history’s most tragic democratic breakdowns were preceded by the degrading of basic norms” (113).

Having established the importance of norms, in Chapter 6 the authors examine the role they play in American democracy in particular. They describe how in the early days of American democracy, norms weren’t particularly strong. But as time went on—and as Southern states were allowed to remove civil and voting rights from African Americans—norms strengthened, securing democracy and a system of checks and balances. In Chapter 7, however, they explore how these norms have crumbled in recent decades, as Republicans and Democrats obstructed judicial appointments, politicians referred to rivals as traitorous and anti-American, and presidents used executive action to bypass Congress. Chapter 8 also explores how Trump has accelerated this process, detailing how he attempted various strategies from the authoritarian playbook in his first year in office.

In Chapter 9 the authors offer a blueprint for reversing democratic decline in the United States, namely by shoring up the values of mutual toleration and institutional forbearance. To do so, the authors suggest the need for a diverse coalition of citizens who are united in their defense of democracy. They also suggest reform of the Republican Party, to reduce the influence of outside donors and right-wing media as well as the party’s dependence on appealing to white nationalism. Finally, politicians must reduce the growing economic inequality that fuels polarization and resentment.