In a recent conversation, Harvard professor Steven Levitsky emphasized the alarming relevance of his previous work on democratic erosion. In his essay with Lucan A. Way, they define 'competitive authoritarianism'—a system where leaders undermine democracy post-elected through corrupt practices and media control. Levitsky reflects on how the Republican Party's weak resistance to executive overreach has exceeded his expectations, indicating a severe crisis in American democratic practices amidst rising authoritarian tendencies.
We're pretty screwed. A couple of things are a little worse than I anticipated. The Republican abdication has been worse than I expected, and I thought it would be bad.
Under competitive authoritarianism, aspiring autocrats acquire power through legitimate elections, then stack the deck in their favor by rewarding corrupt allies and cowing mass media.
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