A very interesting, concise and well-written look at the phenomenon of the elected officials who slide their democratic systems into what is essentially a dictatorship.
The authors clearly outline four essential elements, though every "elected" dictator doesn't necessarily meet all four criteria.
- disregard for the constitution and the value of elections
- willingness to use violence
- delegitimizing of the opposition
- highjacking the institutions of government and the institutions that provide checks and balances
As they look at these points, they draw clear illustrations of the tactics from various historical and present-day scenarios: Hitler, Putin, Erdogan, Marcos, Chavez, amongst others.
All of this in the first quarter (or third) of the book. The rest of the book is taken up with an examination of how these elements have played out within the American system at various historical points, including most recently, Trump. (I didn't read this section - seemed to be of more interest to Americans specifically.)
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