Autocracy rising how Venezuela transitioned to authoritarianism

"An alarming number of countries that once were seemingly stable democracies have veered in recent years toward authoritarianism, a trend known as "democratic backsliding." One of those countries in Venezuela, which enjoyed periods of democratically elected governments in the latter half of the twen...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Corrales, Javier, 1966- (Author)
Format: Books Print Book
Language:English
Published: Washington, D.C : Brookings Institution Press, [2022]
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Summary:"An alarming number of countries that once were seemingly stable democracies have veered in recent years toward authoritarianism, a trend known as "democratic backsliding." One of those countries in Venezuela, which enjoyed periods of democratically elected governments in the latter half of the twentieth century but in the past two decades has increasingly descended into autocratic rule, coupled with economic collapse. Written by a veteran scholar of Venezuela and Latin American politics, Corrales generally explores how and why this happened. He argues that Venezuela's slide began with the policies of former president Hugo Chávez, policies that were based on government control of the economy and in turn generated a lingering economic crisis. After he succeeded Chávez in 2013, Nicolás Maduro not only entrenched the failed economic policies but also responded to various crises by establishing institutions that further undermined democracy. Corrales analyzes the lingering crisis in Venezuela by comparing it to twenty cases in Latin America where presidents were forced out of office. Regardless of how the current situation ends in Venezuela, this book illuminates the depressing cycle in which semi-authoritarian regimes become increasingly autocratic in response to crises, only to cause new crises that led to even greater authoritarianism"--
Physical Description:xiii, 241 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references (pages 191-226) and index.
ISBN:9780815738077
0815738072
Author Notes:Javier Corrales is Dwight W. Morrow 1895 Professor of Political Science at Amherst College. He is the coauthor (with Michael Penfold) of Dragon in the Tropics: Venezuela and the Legacy of Hugo Chavez, published by Brookings Institution Press.