Authoritarianism 101: Lessons from the Recent Past and Present

This set of four lectures examines the reemergence in the 21st century of authoritarianism not in “third world” or developing countries from the Cold War Era but in healthy democracies that lead the developed world or are highly advanced by most measures. Examples proliferate in western, central and eastern Europe and also include important powers such as Israel, Turkey, India, Brazil, South Korea and, most worrisome, the United States. In these lectures, we will explore in a range of different contexts why this has happened. What experiences in the developed world have led to this dramatic loss of faith in democracy and (under the surface) free trade and capitalism? Where is authoritarianism making the biggest inroads? How is it transforming the political cultures of states that were once the anchors of post-World War II global economic stability?