Authoritarian Contagion: The Global Threat to Democracy, Paperback

The 21st century has not seen the triumph of democracy that some predicted. Instead, amidst the many crises facing humanity, a new authoritarianism is emerging. This innovative and important book draws on examples from around the world to examine the spread of draconian and nationalistic forms of government: a lurch towards 'authoritarian protectionism' which observes a simple maxim, that 'the world may end for others, but not for us'. While there is hope that the COVID-19 crisis could lead to a reinvigoration of democracy and a new economic agenda, there is also the risk of a further slide towards authoritarian rule and an urgent need for democratic renewal and change to combat this. The novel conceptualization offered in this book will give readers a new and deeper insight into the changing nature of the authoritarian threat to democracy - and how it might be overcome.

About author(s):Luke Cooper is a consultant researcher based at LSE IDEAS, the foreign policy think tank at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He was previously a Visiting Fellow on the Europe's Futures programme at the IWM (Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna) and is currently researching European politics and the global rise of authoritarianism. He runs a podcast called the Another Europe is Possible Podcast, with Zoe Williams of The Guardian.