S5 EP 1 - Dismantling Democracy: The Rise of Authoritarianism

How are democratically elected governments—chosen through free and fair elections—transformed into authoritarian regimes? What warning signs indicate that a democracy is undergoing a process of “democratic backsliding”? How does the United States compare to other countries whose democracy has faltered and authoritarian rule taken root? Finally, what steps can lovers of democracy take to resist democratic backsliding and protect their democratic institutions? In this episode of New Frontiers, political scientist Sebnem Gumuscu examines these important questions and explains why today’s international environment is more conducive to authoritarian rule than at any time during the Cold War.

Sebnem Gumuscu studies democratic backsliding, political parties, and political Islam in Turkey and in the Middle East and North Africa. Her most recent book, Democracy or Authoritarianism: Islamist Governments in Turkey, Egypt, and Tunisia (Cambridge University Press), focuses on Islamist parties and their democratic commitments when in power. Relying on extensive fieldwork in Turkey, Egypt, and Tunisia, she unpacks intra-party dynamics to explain the divergent trajectories of Islamist governments.

New Frontiers (from the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs at Middlebury College) is a higher education podcast series bringing scholarly research and expertise to bear on national, international, and global affairs.

Produced and edited by Margaret DeFoor and Mark Williams, director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Intro by Charlotte Tate, associate director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Edits by RCGA intern Julia Montgomery.

Music Credits
Forte by Kestra - Summer with Sound Album
Soul Zone by Kestra - Light Rising Album