One of the most important books on political regimes written in a generation.—Steven Levitsky
New York Times–bestselling author of How Democracies Die A new understanding of how and why
early democracy took hold how modern democracy evolved and what this history teaches us about
the future Historical accounts of democracy’s rise tend to focus on ancient Greece and
pre-Renaissance Europe. The Decline and Rise of Democracy draws from global evidence to show
that the story is much richer—democratic practices were present in many places at many other
times from the Americas before European conquest to ancient Mesopotamia to precolonial
Africa. Delving into the prevalence of early democracy throughout the world David Stasavage
makes the case that understanding how and where these democracies flourished—and when and why
they declined—can provide crucial information not just about the history of governance but
also about the ways modern democracies work and where they could manifest in the future.
Drawing from examples spanning several millennia Stasavage first considers why states
developed either democratic or autocratic styles of governance and argues that early democracy
tended to develop in small places with a weak state and counterintuitively simple
technologies. When central state institutions (such as a tax bureaucracy) were absent—as in
medieval Europe—rulers needed consent from their populace to govern. When central institutions
were strong—as in China or the Middle East—consent was less necessary and autocracy more
likely. He then explores the transition from early to modern democracy which first took shape
in England and then the United States illustrating that modern democracy arose as an effort to
combine popular control with a strong state over a large territory. Democracy has been an
experiment that has unfolded over time and across the world—and its transformation is ongoing.
Amidst rising democratic anxieties The Decline and Rise of Democracy widens the historical
lens on the growth of political institutions and offers surprising lessons for all who care
about governance.
