Comparing autocracies in the early Twenty-first Century

This work provides insights into the dynamics of autocracies, exploring their persistence and the role of political institutions. Comparing Autocracies in the Early Twenty-First Century is essential for understanding modern authoritarianism.

Despite the emergence of the so-called Third Wave of Democratization, numerous autocracies have shown remarkable resilience against political change. Many of the transition processes that are often associated with this wave have stagnated or, in some cases, regressed into new forms of non-democratic regimes. This has sparked a renewed interest in the study of autocracies, as scholars seek to understand the dynamics at play in these political environments.

Comparing Autocracies in the Early Twenty-First Century is a two-volume work that provides a comprehensive overview of recent research, offering fresh conceptual, theoretical, and empirical insights into autocratic governance. The first volume is structured to explore the various trajectories, manifestations, and perspectives of non-democratic rule, with a particular focus on autocratic regimes. It features contributions from leading scholars in the field of authoritarianism from both Europe and North America.

The volume addresses three pivotal questions: How can we effectively conceptualize and measure different forms of autocratic regimes? What factors contribute to the persistence of autocratic rule? Additionally, it examines the roles of political institutions, legitimation, ideology, and repression in sustaining various forms of autocracy. This collection of articles draws from respected journals such as Democratization, Contemporary Politics, and Politische Vierteljahresschrift, making it a significant resource for understanding the complexities of autocratic governance today.