Low tide after the third wave - Exploring politics under authoritarianism

As the third wave of democratization recedes, many authoritarian regimes persist. The stability of many authoritarian states raises important questions. The four books under review use different approaches to analyze the basic political struggles that occur within authoritarian states. The studies edited by Chehabi and Linz examine fallen patrimonial states and the difficulty of building democracy in their wake. Vandewalle, Herb, and Wedeen analyze the less attended topic of authoritarian continuity and stability through the resilience of dictatorships in the Middle East. Together, these four books offer an encouraging turning point in theorizing about contemporary authoritarianism, independent of democratic transition.