Preventing the Death of Democracy from Within

What is more terrifying than to witness the rise of a demagogue through democratic means? In a democracy, this kind of outcome is a nightmare. The book shows in clear terms the two authors’ apprehension towards such possibilities. The authors begin with the question of “whether democracy is in danger?”. The question does not only inquire into the state of democracy but also highlights the plausibility of the general public and those belonging to the “elite” not realizing the impending dangers being faced. The book’s argument is constructed based on a historical analysis on threats against democracy in many parts of the world, including the current state of affairs in the US. Most people recognize the downfall of democracies around the world in the hands of military leaders. The first wave of democracy (1828–1926) failed amidst the trend of fascism in Italy and Germany and the rise of communism (1922–1942). The second wave of democracy (1943–1962) tumbled against the rise of military regimes where, in Latin America, they were known as the bureaucratic authoritarian regimes (1958–1975). This establishes a pattern of the rising and falling of democracies, but the question remains on whether the “third wave” of democracy–originating in Portugal and gradually spreading to Greece, Spain, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Eastern bloc