How Democracies Die: What History Tells Us about Our Future

「令人毛骨悚然……本書將川普當選和其他民主政權衰敗之間的關係，作出引人省思的分析」─柯克斯評論「兩年前這樣的書根本不會有人寫……我們欠兩位作者一個債，感謝他們提出這個有關於現今社會最主要的政治問題，最深層的判斷說明」─法蘭西斯‧福山，《政治秩序的起源》作者民主國家/政權已經死亡。這是已經確認的事實，但並非像歷史上各種干戈起義給推翻，而是漸漸地透過選出一個支持獨權主義的領導、濫用政府權力、強烈壓制負面的聲音，造成民主國家的死亡。作者史蒂芬‧勒維斯基和丹尼爾‧傑布拉特都是哈佛學者，兩人花了數十年研究民主政權，兩人得出的結論是經過時間演變，民主政權已死，但好消息是還是可以找到出路，一路上會有很多斜坡，而美國選出川普當總統代表我們已經過了第一個斜坡。政治問題聽起來遙遠，但卻跟每個人息息相關，在每天新聞上看到各種川普的消息之餘，鼓勵每個人都可以閱讀這本書，理解這些事件背後真正代表的意義。Two Harvard professors explain the dangerous world we face todayDemocracies can die with a coup d'état - 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.From the reign of General Augusto Pinochet in Chile to the quiet undermining of Turkey's constitutional system by President Recip Erdogan, Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt draw insightful lessons from across history to shine a light on governmental breakdown across the 20th and 21st centuries - including 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.