The October issue of the Journal of Democracy is out now. The new issue features essays by Michael Ignatieff, Timothy J. Colton, and Roger B. Myerson, a debate among key experts on democratic backsliding, and more.
- In “The Politics of Enemies,” Michael Ignatieff warns that even though “democratic politics is a fierce, no-holds-barred competition for power,” letting it devolve into a battle—particularly one marked by violence—between existential foes risks upending the democratic project.
- Opposition movements often boycott rigged polls rather than risk legitimizing an autocrat. In “How to Compete in Unfair Elections,” Alyena Batura explains why that is a mistake and sketches a playbook for how to seize the advantage.
- Debate: Democracies are under stress, but they are not about to buckle despite the erosion of norms. With few exceptions, write Jason Brownlee and Kenny Miao in “Why Democracies Survive,” affluent democracies will endure. Yascha Mounk, Nancy Bermeo, Tom Ginsburg, and Susan Hyde and Elizabeth N. Saunders offer sharp critiques of this optimistic vision.
Plus: A sweeping look at what Putin’s war will mean for both Russia and Ukraine; debunking the myth of the coup contagion; and revealing how Latin American abortion-rights activists have put together a string of victories.
Read the Journal of Democracy‘s just-released October issue free of charge on Project MUSE through November 15.
More from the issue:
- Will Russia’s war tip the Kremlin even further toward tyranny while fortifying Ukraine’s democracy? According to Timothy J. Colton, that will depend on Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky as much as on the course of the war itself.
- Analyzing new data, Olga Onuch finds that the share of Ukrainians who endorse democracy as the best form of government has risen fast and now stands above three-quarters.
- Future democratic state-building missions should learn from past failures, writes Roger B. Myerson. It is critical to work with local powerbrokers rather than relying on a centralized state.
- Many fear that coups are making a comeback. While this is not true, explains Naunihal Singh, anti-coup norms are starting to erode.
- The recent wave of wins for abortion rights in Latin America owes much to activists framing the issue as a matter of human rights, writes Omar G. Encarnación.
- India’s ruling BJP has won two successive national elections but refuses to respect Muslims’ rights. Ashutosh Varshney examines how the party is eroding democracy.
- Democracies desperately need new strategies to combat the challenge of rising authoritarian sharp power, writes Christopher Walker.
- The new book Surveillance State: Inside China’s Quest to Launch a New Era of Social Control reveals how Beijing deploys mass surveillance to eliminate threats to its rule, writes our coeditor, William J. Dobson.
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Don’t miss the latest from the JoD Online:
- Why Ukraine Will Win by Francis Fukuyama
- Putin’s Big Gamble by Robert Person
- Why Women Are Leading the Fight in Iran by Ladan Boroumand
- Iran Erupts by Peyman Asadzade
The Journal of Democracy is published quarterly in January, April, July, and October. Members of the press and members of Congress who wish to receive electronic access should email the managing editor. For more information, please visit the JOD’s website or send an email.