Authoritarianism: A Very Short Introduction

by James Loxton

Authoritarianism is one of the buzzwords of our age. But what is it exactly? This Very Short Introduction provides a comprehensive overview of the world of authoritarian regimes, including military, single-party, and personalist regimes. It considers how understandings of authoritarianism have evolved over time, as well as the curious fact that many authoritarian regimes today hold elections. Drawing on examples from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, James Loxton examines the life cycle of authoritarian regimes. How are they born? What challenges do they face during life? Why do they die? The author shows how factors such as natural resource wealth and cross-border collaboration can contribute to authoritarian durability. He also highlights the disturbing fact that even when authoritarian regimes collapse, voters often use their newfound democratic rights to send former authoritarian officials back to office.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

Published January 23, 2025

Reviews

[Tim Callicutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.5 stars] Clear introduction with LOTS of examples throughout. Just scratching the surface but that’s to be expected. Sometimes this series can be idiosyncratic in its focus but this one seems more general. If you were picking this up to help calm your fears about America’s political landscape, don’t hold your breath.

[Asher Huskinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

These little books are fantastic.

It’s a hard truth to swallow, but removing our wannabe autocrats from office, while maintaining democracy, will take lots of time and patience.

[Chris Vernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A timely publication! It provides a detailed description of authoritarianism with many case studies. Concentration of power, suppressed opposition, manipulated elections, restricted civil liberties and compromised rule of law are all common traits. One interesting point was about democratic backsliding or authoritarian resurgence where the defeated authoritarian regime goes on to regain power from a more democratic system, e.g. Hungary, Thailand, Egypt, Venezuela and of course Russia after a brief flirtation with democracy in the 90s.

[Paul Narvaez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good as far as these Oxford very short introductions go. Concise. If I had any criticism, it might be that Loxton tends to rely on many of the same sources for his materials but I don't find fault with any of his overall assumptions.

A very relevant and timely read.

[Andy Quan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a few of the very short introductions and I would have to say that this is the most consistently engaging of them all. Who knew authoritarianism would make such a good read? But Loxton fills his arguments and summaries with engaging facts and quotes, and liberally cites other scholars, which shows the lay of the land, bolsters his authority and provides many a bon mot. I would think that the topic would be, as it was for me, unfamiliar to most readers, and yet it is an excellent story, and told so well: clearly and sharply. The book could not be more timely, as Amerika slides into, nay, leaps into authoritarianism. It provides some great context; I hope it can also offer some, dare I say, hope? While authoritarian regimes are nefarious and enduring, they tend to fall, with time. Inshallah.