A coup may be a quick fix for a problem leader, but history shows that coups beget more coups.
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Articles on Autocracy
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Despite the fact that only 38% of Americans say they think the Democratic and Republican parties are doing 'an adequate job,' they're unlikely to disappear.
President Trump's impeachment defense that the will of the president is no different from the will of the state and the good of the people has echoes in the decline of ancient Rome's democracy.
The Roman senate declined from a long-held position of authority under the Roman Republic to become almost wholly reliant on the whims of a given emperor, writes a classics scholar.
When an elected leader turns autocratic, the economy tends to suffer. That's because, in a functioning democracy, economic policy is made jointly, with lawmakers playing a key role.
A snap poll intended to boost the Turkish president's power has stirred up online opposition to his increasing authoritarianism.
Elections are easy to rig, and they give authoritarian leaders a veneer of legitimacy they badly need.
Chinese official media casts President Xi Jinping as an anti-corruption crusader; critics say he's authoritarian. The reality is that he is a man of contrasts whose traits are difficult to pin down.
The treason charges against Cambodia's opposition leader Kem Sokha are another step towards autocracy in the kingdom of wonder.
For Trump, putting America first means that being a global leader on human rights may take a back seat.
Recent elections in Latin America have suggested a retreat from left-wing politics and populist leaders. But results from Ecuador's 2017 presidential election suggest otherwise.
Ranting narcissists with no patience for detail have terrorised and suppressed their people the world over. Is a new one about to join their ranks?
Turkey is sliding into autocracy – and the man at the helm seems keen to speed things up.
In the wake of the Arab Spring the international community lauded Tunisia's political transition to democracy. But a plethora of challenges may threaten democratic consolidation in the country.
South Africa has never reached an embedded democratic state. Its post-apartheid experience more realistically reflects ongoing oscillation between a deepening and a reversal of democratic liberties.
By challenging the courts, King Dalindyebo is testing the degree of impunity with which traditional leaders can get away.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor of Classics, College of the Holy Cross
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Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex
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Professor of International Affairs, Penn State
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Assistant Professor, School for Global Inclusion and Social Development, University of Massachusetts Boston
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Professor of Democracy, University of Birmingham
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Researcher - African Security - One Earth Future Foundation, University of the Witwatersrand
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Associate professor, University of Cape Town
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LSE Fellow in Comparative Politics, London School of Economics and Political Science
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Professor of Chinese and World History, University of California, Irvine
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Professor of Sociology, University of Kentucky
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Lecturer in Cultural Anthropology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
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Visiting Fellow at the Department of Government, University of Essex
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Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boise State University
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Assistant Professor of Global Affairs, George Mason University
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Political Science Researcher, University of Central Florida
