The Democratic Regression: The Political Causes of Authoritarian Populism

Two German political scientists search for the causes of rising authoritarian populism across advanced democracies. They set aside conventional explanations that cite growing discontent among those affected by widening economic inequality or alienated by increasing cultural diversity. Instead, they focus on the deepening conviction that parties and governments are unresponsive to public demands. The only antidote is to expand opportunities for people to meaningfully discuss and shape the policies that affect their lives. Although this view is common in the discourse of left-wing parties, it is decidedly not a talking point for most centrist politicians, who firmly believe that referendums, protest, social media, vigilantism, and other forms of direct public pressure have the effect of encouraging, not suppressing, extremism and authoritarianism. Schäfer and Zürn do not resolve this tension but open a vital scholarly debate about how greater popular engagement might be harnessed to better combat extremism.