Gideon Rachman’s accessible new book, The Age of the Strongman, examines autocratic rulers in a series of essays about the global rise of authoritarian, nationalist-populist leaders and the corrosive impact on liberal democratic tradition. Rachman’s idea is that this is a modern phenomenon, roughly beginning with Putin’s rise to national power in 1999-2000.

Rachman notes that authoritarian rulers have helped to undermine democratic ideals and practices around the world since 2000, with growing success following the financial crash of 2008. “The last 15 years have seen the most sustained decline in political freedom around the world since the 1930s,” Rachman writes.  Shockingly, to him, democracy’s great bastion, America, came close to falling, too.

Reading and studying Gideon Rachman's book provides a valuable opportunity to go beyond our usual European focus and explore a variety of political landscapes around the globe. By examining leaders from various countries, we can  better understand the local and international forces, historical contexts, economic conditions, and cultural factors that contribute to the rise of authoritarianism and undermine liberal democratic developments.

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