Published in
2018 , ‘How Democracies Die’ is a book
on politics and political theory by
Harvard University Professors , Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. (Penguin , 312 pages). It says that in our time , democracies will die “ less
at the hands of men with guns and
more by elected leaders”. It tells us how
elected leaders can gradually
subvert democratic processes to increase their power ,weaken and finally
kill democracy.
There are many examples. Like Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, elected leaders have subverted , in ‘legal’ ways ,democratic institutions in many countries around the world like
Georgia, Hungary , Nicaragua ,
Peru , The Philippines, Poland ,Russia , Sri Lanka , Turkey and Ukraine.
Several chapters of the book have been devoted to the USA , President Donald
trump and the 2016 US presidential
election. The authors say that USA is
not immune to the trends that have led to the collapse of
democracy in other parts of the world.
There is a pattern of autocratic tendencies in elected autocrats. Such leaders maintain a veneer of democracy while subverting
its substance. In such countries ,
citizens who criticize the
government may often find themselves
facing tax raids or other legal troubles. Their
criticism may be dismissed as exaggerating. Further ,a large number
of citizens may believe that they
are living under a democratic regime.
These elected leaders subvert democracy
by packing courts and other
agencies by their own men and women,
buying off or bullying media and the private sector and rewriting rules
of politics to tilt the playing field
against opponents. Democracy ends with a whimper
in the slow but steady weakening of the democratic institutions , and the gradual erosion of long standing political norms.
In
the last chapter of the book entitled ‘
Saving Democracy ‘ , the authors tell the way out.” We must not only
restore democratic norms but extend them through the whole of increasing diverse societies .. . This is the challenge that we face”. In
other words , we must restore shared beliefs and practices –beyond formal
constitution- that constitute the essential ‘guardrails’ for preserving democracy .Political parties are
democracy’s gatekeepers and can keep extremist demagogues from gaining power by denying them party
tickets, refusing to endorse or align with them and if necessary , even making a common cause with rivals.
In
Introduction, the authors say:”History
does not repeat itself. But it rhymes. The promise of history is that we can find the rhymes before it is
too late”. This is what history reveals us about future. It is for us to listen to this wakeup call and act.
I
have found this book accessible ,compelling and extremely relevant
in present times. I recommend it highly
to citizens of all democracies of the world to read it and , if possible , to act upon its recommendations.
