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16 - Conclusion

from Part III - International Dimensions of the Struggle Between Democracy and Autocracy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2025

Valerie J. Bunce
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
Thomas B. Pepinsky
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
Rachel Beatty Riedl
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
Kenneth M. Roberts
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
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Summary

Whether old or new, democracies are fragile. There are no guarantees that they will last. Why? Part of the answer is that democracy is an inherently unfinished project. There is always more political work to do. The institutions that define democratic life, such as a robust civil society, political parties that structure public opinion and voting behavior, and free, fair, and competitive elections, moreover, are just as available to authoritarians, as to democrats. Finally, democracies operate in an international system that supports the spread of dictatorship, as well as democracy.

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Chapter
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Global Challenges to Democracy
Comparative Perspectives on Backsliding, Autocracy, and Resilience
, pp. 317 - 325
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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