'How democracies die: what history reveals about our future' by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt

Sometimes democracy dies with a bang. A coup d'état that brings down the government. A march on the capital, as martial law is declared and the state media is taken over. This is the way it usually happens in films and television programmes. Quickly and forcefully. But more often, democracies die slowly. In plain sight, at the hands of elected officials. Through the gradual erosion of political norms and institutions, as detailed in the new book by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt – How democracies die: what history reveals about our future. The authors argue that history does not repeat itself, it rhymes. By examining history and looking at the patterns we can find the rhymes that signpost creeping authoritarianism – the threats to the checks and balances that are supposed to prevent the election of demagogues. For Levitsky and Ziblatt, "democratic backsliding today begins at the ballot box." The four main indicators to look out for are: Rejection of (or weak commitment to) the democratic rules of the game Denial of the legitimacy of political opponents Toleration or encouragement of violence Readiness to curtail the civil liberties of opponents, including the media Levitsky and Ziblatt provide examples from history of how to act in cases like this. Sometimes you have to work with people you are ideologically opposed to in order to preserve democratic ideals, as was the case in Belgium and Finland in the 1930s, we are told. Given the current political climate, the global rise in populist extremist parties and hyper-nationalism, this book is a timely reminder that democracies do not always die in darkness. Sometimes they die with the lights on, by people elected through democratic means. But by examining history we can gain insight into measures each of us can take to protect our democratic rights. "Protecting our democracy requires more than fright and outrage. We must be humble and bold. We must learn from other countries to see the warning signs, and recognise the false alarms (…) and we must see how citizens have risen to meet the great democratic crises of the past, overcoming their own deep-seated divisions to avert breakdown." If you would like to read this book it is available at the Council Library and can be requested via Eureka. About the authors: Steven Levitsky is Professor of Government at Harvard University. His research and teaching focus on political parties, democracy and authoritarianism and weak and informal institutions in Latin America and across the developing world. He is the author of two books: Competitive Authoritarianism and Informal Institutions and Democracy. Daniel Ziblatt, also Professor of Government at Harvard University, is a leading authority on contemporary Europe and democracy and authoritarianism in Europe from the 19th century to the present. He is the author of Structuring the State and Conservative Political Parties and the Birth of Modern Democracy in Europe. This publication does not necessarily represent the positions, policies or opinions of the Council of the European Union or the European Council. The contents are the sole responsibility of the authors. The Council library is located in the Justus Lipsius building, at JL 02 GH, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175, 1048 Brussels (Froissart entrance) – opening hours Monday to Friday 10.00 – 16.00. It is open to all staff of the Council of the European Union and the European Council, trainees, permanent representations of member states, staff of other EU institutions and bodies, and researchers and students upon request. Access to some library holdings may be restricted to on-site consultation.