{"id":5205,"date":"2018-01-15T21:58:56","date_gmt":"2018-01-16T02:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/?p=5205"},"modified":"2018-01-16T07:25:23","modified_gmt":"2018-01-16T12:25:23","slug":"how-democracies-die","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/2018\/01\/15\/how-democracies-die\/","title":{"rendered":"In \u2018How Democracies Die,\u2019 Harvard Professors Diagnose Just How Doomed We Are"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cIs our democracy in danger?\u201d Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt write at the beginning of their new book \u201cHow Democracies Die\u201d <\/a>(Crown). \u201cIt\u2019s a question we never thought we\u2019d be asking.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president changed that. The Harvard professors\u2014who will speak about their book at Brookline Booksmith on Jan. 22<\/a> and at Cambridge’s Harvard Book Store on Jan. 31<\/a>\u2014write, \u201cOver the past two years, we have watched politicians say and do things that are unprecedented in the United States\u2014but that we recognize in having been precursors of democratic crisis in other places.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrump exhibits many more of the central traits of an authoritarian leader. His instincts are very similar to authoritarians we\u2019ve studied in Latin America or historically in Europe,\u201d Levitsky tells me. \u201cHis personality, his inclinations, are more authoritarian than any figure we\u2019ve elected [in the U.S.]\u2014with the partial, possible exception of Nixon\u2014in over a century.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t see the demise of American democracy as imminent. We just think it\u2019s much more at risk than we would have thought five years ago, 10 years ago,\u201d Levitsky tells me. \u201cThe difference between the United States and other countries is our institutions are stronger. \u2026 What\u2019s troubling is to see their slow erosion. They\u2019re still there, but they\u2019re weaker, and that\u2019s what frightens us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Based on their studies of Latin America (Levitsky) and Europe (Ziblatt), the authors say there are four key predictors that candidates will be authoritarians:<\/p>\n

\u2022 The politicians reject democratic \u201crules of the game.\u201d For example, Trump wouldn\u2019t commit to accepting the results of the 2016 election<\/a> (before he won).<\/p>\n

\u2022 The politicians deny the legitimacy of opponents. Such as Trump and his supporters claiming President Barack Obama was not an American citizen and calling for Hilary Clinton to be jailed with the slogan \u201clock her up.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 The politicians \u201ctolerate or encourage violence.\u201d Such as Trump encouraging supporters to \u201cknock the crap out of\u201d protestors and pledging to \u201cpay for the legal fees.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 The politicians express a willingness to curtain civil liberties of opponents, including the media. Again, Trump calling for Clinton to be locked up. And more recently, Trump\u2019s effort to stop the publication of the Michael Wolff\u2019s critical book, \u201cFire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Ziblatt and Levitsky write, \u201cTrump, even before his inauguration, tested positive on all four measures on our litmus test for autocrats.<\/p>\n

\"Steven<\/a>
Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt’s book \u201cHow Democracies Die.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The authoritarian style in American politics<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSince the end of the Cold War, most democratic breakdowns have been caused not by generals and soldiers but by elected governments themselves,\u201d Ziblatt and Levitsky warn. The great danger they identify is of a slowly creeping authoritarianism. \u201cBecause there is no single moment\u2014no coup, declaration of martial law, or suspension of the constitution\u2014in which the regime obviously \u2018crosses the line\u2019 into dictatorship, nothing may set off society\u2019s alarm bells.\u201d<\/p>\n

Levitsky says, \u201cThere\u2019s been an authoritarian streak in the American electorate for a very long time.\u201d They point to the disenfranchisement of African-Americans after the Civil War Reconstruction. They point to Father Charles Coughlin, Louisiana Governor Huey Long, Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy, Alabama Governor (and presidential candidate) George Wallace. \u201cMany of them had the same amount of public support\u201438, 45, 40 percent\u2014that Trump has. The difference is party leaders never nominated one of them before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Levitsky says, \u201cWhat\u2019s new is the Republican party lining up behind an authoritarian leader.\u201d<\/p>\n

The checks and balances built into our system may not be strong enough to protect our democracy. They note that constitutions\u2014even those modeled on the U.S. Constitution\u2014have not kept Germany, the Philippines and several Latin American nations from falling into authoritarianism.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not our Constitution that\u2019s most preserved our democracy, they write, but our large middle class, our \u201cvibrant civil society\u201d and \u201cstrong democratic norms.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Trump.<\/a>
Trump. (Illustration by Greg Cook)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A demagogue<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNot only did Americans elect a demagogue in 2016, but we did so at a time when the norms that once protected our democracy were already coming unmoored,\u201d Ziblatt and Levitsky write.<\/p>\n

They diagnose \u201cextreme partisan division\u201d as \u201cthe fundamental problem facing American democracy.\u201d As examples, they cite Republicans\u2019 impeachment of President Bill Clinton and their refusal to fund Clinton and Obama\u2019s governments. They point to Republicans refusing to vote on Obama\u2019s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland so they could, in effect, steal the seat on the court. \u201cThat was the single most egregious violation of democratic norms that we\u2019ve seen in the last five years,\u201d Levitsky says. \u201cThat was before Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n

They write, \u201cThe Republican Party has been the main driver of the chasm between the parties.\u201d<\/p>\n

Underlying the divisions, they say, has been racial and religious realignment as well as economic inequality. \u201cSome of the polarization is the Democrats have absorbed new voters\u201d\u2014African-Americans, immigrants\u2014over the past half century, \u201cand the Republican Party has remained mainly a white Christian party. And it\u2019s come to represent people who believe society is being taken away from them,\u201d Levitsky says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat leads to pretty extremist thought,\u201d Levitsky says. \u201cPerceiving that your country is being taken away from you is a pretty radicalizing perception.\u201d<\/p>\n

Long term, Ziblatt and Levitsky recommend addressing racism and inequality by approving comprehensive health insurance, a minimum wage, paid parental leave, subsidized daycare, pre-kindergarten education. And Levitsky says, \u201cRepublican leaders have to insist that the party open up and become a diverse party.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere really have not been any successful truly multi-ethnic democracies in the world,\u201d Levitsky notes. \u201cThe U.S. is poised to be the first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Steven<\/a>
Steven Levitsky (left) and Daniel Ziblatt. (Photo by Stephanie Mitchell)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018Republicans are in the best position to stop Trump\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

What can be done to reduce Trump\u2019s danger to our democracy?<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst and foremost the responsibility lies with the Republican party,\u201d Levitsky says.<\/p>\n

Party \u201cgatekeepers\u201d must keep authoritarian candidates like Trump off the ballot (despite the temptations to ride their popularity), Ziblatt and Levitsky write. They need to isolate and root out extremists from their own ranks. They need to avoid alliances with \u201canti-democratic\u201d politicians. They need to avoid legitimizing them. They need to unite with other mainstream parties\u2014even traditional opponents\u2014to keep authoritarians out of power. Trump\u2019s \u201crise to the presidency is, in good measure, a story of ineffective gatekeeping,\u201d Ziblatt and Levitsky write.<\/p>\n

Part of the problem, Levitsky says, is \u201cWho is the Republication establishment at this point?\u201d Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell? Speaker of the House Paul Ryan? \u201cIt\u2019s almost nonexistent. There\u2019s not a single moneyed interest that\u2019s taken over. A handful of billionaires, the Koch brothers, etc., have tremendous influence, but they can\u2019t win [presidential] primaries. They didn\u2019t back Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Trump is already president. So what can be done to stop his authoritarian actions now? \u201cRepublicans are in the best position to stop Trump, to contain him or if necessary remove him,\u201d Levitsky says.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t seem much inclined to do that, though. \u201cThat could change,\u201d Levitsky says. \u201cWe\u2019re going to be out there saying this is vital.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLots of Republicans are deeply worried by the direction of the Republican Party. A lot of Republican voters are deeply, deeply disaffected. Hardcore Trump voters tend to think the system is not listening to them\u201d so they\u2019re inclined \u201cto take a wrecking ball to the system,\u201d Levitsky says. \u201cIn many respects, it\u2019s a last gasp strategy of a party that\u2019s in danger of losing its popular majority.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ziblatt and Levitsky encourage peaceful protest. They recommending building broad pro-democratic coalitions with membership that goes beyond the parties\u2019 usual allies.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really important that opposition to Trump be norm-enhancing rather than norm-breaking,\u201d Levitsky stresses.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink of democracy as a game that we want to keep playing indefinitely,\u201d Ziblatt and Levitsky write. \u201cTo ensure future rounds of the game, players must refrain from either incapacitating the other team or antagonizing them to such a degree, that they refuse to play again tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adopting extreme tactics, they argue, gives license to authoritarians to crack down, to be even more extreme. \u201cThat\u2019s probably only going to accelerate the process of norm erosion,\u201d Levitsky says. Also, authoritarians tend to be better at being extreme than those who take extreme measures to try to overcome them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very important to take advantage of the institutions that are still there, to use them,\u201d Levitsky says. \u201cAt least to date, elections are still fair and the courts are still viable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not calling for a radical change in strategy,\u201d Levitsky says. \u201cThe most important thing opponents of Trump can do is win control of one house of Congress in 2018.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Help us keep producing our great coverage of local arts by contributing to Wonderland on Patreon<\/a>. And sign up for our free, weekly newsletter<\/a> so that you don’t miss any of our reporting.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIs our democracy in danger?\u201d Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt write at the beginning of their new book \u201cHow Democracies Die\u201d (Crown). \u201cIt\u2019s a question we never thought we\u2019d be asking.\u201d But the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president changed that. The Harvard professors\u2014who will speak about their book at Brookline Booksmith on Jan. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5197,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[107],"tags":[220,209,42,68,219,62],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5205"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5205"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5225,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5205\/revisions\/5225"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}