Authoritarianism and the Elite Origins of Democracy

'In this important and original study Albertus and Menaldo help answer a critical question for comparative politics - why do democratic transitions so often fail to eliminate elite dominance of a country’s politics? Their conclusions will be of interest to a very wide range of scholars.' David Stasavage, Julius Silver Professor, New York University

'Albertus and Menaldo offer an audacious set of claims supported with rigorous and rich comparative and historical research. Democracy’s success (or failure) depends not on the people but on the competition among elites. The origins of nearly all democracies are in elite bargains, renegotiations among elites are generally what sustain democracy, and the failure of elites to reach agreements is what dooms them. Thus, it should be no surprise that inequality is generally part and parcel of democratic polities and that authoritarianism is often a short step away. This exciting reinterpretation of the historical record offers a new perspective on the problems confronting contemporary governments.' Margaret Levi, Sara Miller McCune Director, Stanford University

'For generations scholars have seen democratic transitions as triumphant moments of victory by the shackled masses. But what if old authoritarian elites are able to maintain many of their privileges and powers under democracy? In Albertus and Menaldo’s groundbreaking new work they show that outgoing elites are often able to ‘game’ democracy by structuring the transition and developing democratic institutions that continue to represent their interests. With this powerful new view of the origins and success of democracy, developed through a wide array of convincing historical and statistical analysis, the authors fundamentally reshape the way we think about elites and democracy.' Ben Ansel, University of Oxford

'Authoritarianism and the Elite Origins of Democracy simultaneously takes aim at distributive understandings of democratic origins and those who argue that inequality stems from global capitalism. Amassing a powerful array of evidence across time and geographic space, Michael Albertus and Victor Menaldo show that elite-biased democracy both explains democratization under high inequality and the persistence and expansion of that inequality. I harbor no illusions that this book will end the debates over democracy’s origins and quality, but it greatly enriches and will invigorate them both.' Benjamin Smith, University of Florida

'… Authoritarianism and the Elite Origins of Democracy is an outstanding book. It brings to light crucial elements of why democracy so often fails to fulfill its promises. The variety of methodological approaches enhances the book.' Marie-Josée Lavallée, H-Socialisms

‘The book represents an important contribution to the study of democratization and opens new horizons for students of the quality of democracy as well as authoritarian regime survival.’ Jia Li, Democratization

‘… an excellent contribution not only to a more nuanced understanding of democracy, authoritarianism, and the processes of democratization and liberalization, but, also in a more indirect and subtle way, the fruition of a robust and realistic line of approach exploring the logic of public choice phenomena and collective decision making in both democratic and non-democratic settings.’ Paul Dragos Aligica, Public Choice