The Democratic Regression

Two approaches dominate the debate on the rise of national-authoritarian parties: an economic one that focuses on growing inequality as a result of globalisation, and a cultural one that looks at social processes of liberalisation. Both explanations, according to the criticism of Armin Schäfer and Michael Zürn, are oddly free of politics. That’s why they set out to investigate the genuinely political causes of this development: How have the parties changed, how has their relationship to the citizens changed? What happens when politics presents itself as the executive organ of inherent necessities? According to the authors, anyone who wants to stop authoritarian movements must start with the political process itself and rethink Willy Brandt's formula »dare more democracy«.

»... this extremely informative and well thought-out book [is] compulsory reading for anyone interested in the current state and the future of democracy.« Karsten Fischer, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

»This book, which cleverly combines statistical findings with political-theoretical analyses, aims to find ways out of the impasse. [...] Even those who remain skeptical will look more impartially at the dangers threatening democracy after reading this book.« Oliver Weber, DIE ZEIT

»[a] lucid and articulate book« Ariane Leendertz, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

»Underpinned by many examples and statistically well-founded, Schäfer and Zürn’s book is a very detailed work that vividly presents the background, relationships and possible interactions between democracy and authoritarian populism.« Jana Weber, Frankfurter Neue Presse

»What lingers after reading this book, which is absolutely worth reading, is above all the observation – substantiated by extensive statistical data – that Western-style democracies [...] are in retreat worldwide: Under the [current] conditions of irreversible globalisation, democratic regression can no longer be stopped.« Jens Balzer, Deutschlandfunk Kultur