It should not surprise anyone that democracies can become dangerously
illiberal; indeed, it was one of the classical critiques of ancient
democracies. Is the contemporary backlash against liberal democracy
merely the same old story, or are we witnessing something
unprecedented?
In this witty and engaging book, Aviezer Tucker argues that the
contemporary revival of authoritarian populism combines the historically
familiar with new technologies to produce a highly unstable and
contagious new synthesis that threatens basic liberal norms, from
freedom of the press to independent judiciaries. He examines how the
economic crisis blocked social mobility and thereby awakened the dark,
dormant political passions exploited by demagogues such as Orban and
Trump. He argues that this slide towards 'neo-illiberal democracy' can
be countered if we hard-headedly restore a 'liberalism without
nostalgia' which institutes policies that can dampen down populist
passions and strengthen liberal institutional barriers against them.
Readers interested in current affairs, social science, history, and
political and social theory will find Aviezer Tucker's original
theoretical and historical analysis incisive, innovative, and
entertaining.
