Steven Levitsky was on C-Span's Washington Journal talking about the book he co-authored with Daniel Ziblatt titled "How Democracy Dies." (Watch it here.) An onscreen graphic shown at least twice during the program displayed the authors' four behaviors that precede the collapse of democratic countries they've studied. A book review found here tells us what they are:
There are four main indicators of authoritarian behavior that the authors highlight: 1) the rejection of democratic institutions, or at least a weak commitment to them; 2) the denial of the legitimacy of political opponents; 3) the toleration or encouragement of violence; and 4) the desire or willingness to reduce civil liberties (see 23ff., 61ff.). Even before his election, Trump displayed all four in ways by now familiar. The Republicans abdicated their responsibility to democracy, failing to take a principled stance against him. Often for reasons of expediency, they supported him despite his unfitness for office and of the clear danger even to the constitutional order that many of them indicated he presented.
For simplification, here they are in outline form:
1) the rejection of democratic institutions;
2) the denial of the legitimacy of political opponents;
3) the toleration or encouragement of violence; and
4) the desire or willingness to reduce civil liberties.
Professor Levitsky didn't try to disguise the obvious source of his fears, Donald Trump and his followers. Perhaps Trump espoused some of those tendencies in the campaign and afterwards. But we should all do well to remember that Trump is a bombastic blowhard. It's good that enemies of the U.S. take his threats and insults seriously, but most us out here in flyover country don't. And a president alone will not be able to transform the U.S. from it's current form of government to authoritarianism without a lot of public support. Trump probably knows better than to think his supporters would follow him down that path.
Meanwhile, if one looks at Mr. Levitsky's list and recalls recent newsworthy incidents, it becomes obvious that people on the left are more likely to commit them than people on the right.
Any observer can tell you that conservatives are more likely to uphold democratic institutions, more likely to uphold civil liberties, and less likely to encourage violence than those on the left.
Just look at what political front runners on the left want to do. Here's a short list: Abolish the electoral college, restrict free speech, restrict gun rights, convict without due process, and brutalize people with whom they disagree.
Professor Levitsky gives us a wake up call, all right. But his targets should be the people with whom he most likely agrees politically.
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3:05 PM 3/20/2019
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