Steven Levitsky | Competitive Authoritarianism

Steven Levitsky speaks at Oslo Freedom Forum 2011
Competitive Authoritarianism

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Steven Levitsky, professor of government at Harvard University, examines the phenomenon of competitive authoritarianism—the replacement of totalitarianism with regimes that conform to the external standards of democracy but retain many of the qualities of autocracy. In the 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the West came to expect the establishment of democracy in countries around the world. Many nations—particularly those with less international leverage—could not afford to maintain dictatorships. However, the international community did not closely monitor these transitions to "democracy," and newly formed competitive authoritarian regimes often fell into place. These regimes hold elections, but the ruling party has such an unfair advantage over the opposition that it rarely loses. It controls state funds, security forces, and media outlets, and often harasses the opposition and its supporters. A strong opposition movement from within can bring down authoritarianism, but such movements are rare in countries where civil society is drastically weakened. International pressure can also be effective, but primarily in countries with strong ties to the West. Levitsky tells us that one way to combat autocracies is to create more ties rather than isolate, so that the price of dictatorship becomes too high to sustain. Learn more about #OsloFreedomForum:
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