In brief
Amid growing concerns over the fragility of democracies, Adam Przeworski explores why some democracies falter while others endure, highlighting recent events in the U.S. and Brazil that illustrate the potential for unexpected shifts toward autocratic governance.
In recent years, democracies worldwide have faced unprecedented challenges, with political leaders increasingly manipulating legal and electoral frameworks to consolidate power. This significant trend has raised alarms among scholars and citizens alike, questioning the very stability of democratic institutions. Political scientist Adam Przeworski, who has dedicated his career to understanding democratic resilience, reflects on his personal experiences that shaped his research.Having fled Poland just before the 1968 Prague Spring, Przeworski witnessed the violent coup in Chile in 1973 that brought General Augusto Pinochet to power, effectively ending Chilean democracy for nearly two decades. This pivotal moment instilled in him a desire to unravel why democracies survive or succumb to autocratic rule, a question that has driven his intellectual pursuits for half a century.Historically, scholars believed that after a series of democratic transitions and a certain economic threshold were reached, democracies would become self-sustaining. However, recent events, including the January 6 insurrection in the United States and the violence in Brazil following the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, starkly illustrate the vulnerability of democratic institutions even in nations long considered stable. The rise of far-right movements across Europe further underscores the precarious state of democracy, demonstrating a shift in political culture and the unsettling possibility that established democracies may not be immune from authoritarian influences. As these patterns emerge globally, the need for vigilance and proactive measures to protect democratic principles has never been more pressing.
