Crises in Authoritarian Regimes: Fragile Orders and Contested Power

Illuminates the condensation of authoritarian rule in crisis around the globe.

Crises reveal the fragility of political order and challenge the powerful. How do authoritarian regimes deal with this? In many cases, they aim to achieve two contradictory goals simultaneously preserving stability amidst crisis and reviving their political order via crisis. What are authoritarian strengths and weaknesses in coping with crisis compared to democratic regimes? What can explain their adaptability and persistence? This volume aims to assemble a broad variety of perspectives. Deriving questions from political science, history, literature studies, sociology, and area studies, the authors examine present and past regimes in Africa, East and Central Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, and Latin America. These case studies illuminate the condensation of authoritarian rule in crisis.