BREAKING DOWN DEMOCRACY: Goals, Strategies, and Methods of Modern Authoritarians

BREAKING DOWN DEMOCRACY: Goals, Strategies, and Methods of Modern Authoritarians common ideologies, whether faith in Marxist revolution or ultraconservative, anticommunist reaction. As the 20th century drew to a close, the weaknesses of both communist systems and traditional dictator- ships became increasingly apparent. Front and center was the growing economic gap between countries that had opted for market economies and regimes that were committed to statist economies. The political and economic barriers that had long shel- tered the old dictatorships were soon swept away, and those that survived or recovered did so by making a series of strategic concessions to the new global order. odern authoritarianism has a different set of defin- ing features: ¢ Anillusion of pluralism that masks state control over key political institutions, with co-opted or otherwise defanged opposition parties allowed to participate in regular elections ¢ State or oligarchic control over key elements of the national economy, which is otherwise open to the global economy and private investment, to ensure loyalty to the regime and bolster regime claims of legitimacy based on economic prosperity ¢ State or oligarchic control over information on certain political subjects and key sectors of the media, which are otherwise pluralistic, with high production values and entertaining content; in- dependent outlets survive with small audiences and little influence ¢ Suppression of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that are focused on human rights or political reform, but state tolerance or support for progovernment or apolitical groups that work on public health, education, and other develop- ment issues ¢ Legalized political repression, with targets pun- ished through vaguely worded laws and political- ly obedient courts ¢ Limited, selective, and typically hidden use of extralegal force or violence, with a concentration on political dissidents, critical journalists, and officials who have fallen from favor ¢ Opportunistic, non-ideological cooperation with fellow authoritarian states against pressure for democratic reform or leadership changes, international human rights norms and mech- anisms, and international security or justice interventions ¢ Knowledge-sharing with or emulation of fellow authoritarian states regarding tactics and legis- lation to enhance domestic control China and Russia The two major modern authoritarian powers are China and Russia. Until fairly recently, the conventional wisdom was that China's one-party authoritarian system would gradual- ly relax as the middle class expanded and the country became fully integrated into the global economic and diplomatic systems. The leadership did expand citizens’ freedom to travel, make money, and access information and entertainment that did not touch on sensitive subjects. But it has resolutely refused to give up control over the political sphere. In fact, the state has become increasingly aggressive in its suppression of political dissent and information that might challenge the Communist Party narrative. The regime's rhetoric and policies have become more hostile to democracy and “Western” values. Its propa- ganda asserts the superior efficiency of the one-party system and sneers at the messiness of democracy. And the focus of its repressive apparatus has steadily expanded from a relatively narrow segment of political opposition figures to encompass a broad collection of target groups, including human rights lawyers, ethnic minorities, Christians, women’s rights advocates, liber- al academics, and independent journalists. Russia is much smaller than China in terms of pop- ulation and economic might, but it has emerged as a leader of modern authoritarian innovation. Under Vladimir Putin, the Russian regime pioneered the capture of the media through state enterprises and oligarchic cronies, the adoption of laws designed to dismember civil society, the use of the judiciary as an instrument of political harassment, and, perhaps most importantly of all, the development of modern propaganda and disinformation. Russia has also been in the vanguard of a relentless campaign against liberal values, and has moved relentlessly to export authoritarian ideas and tech- niques to other societies, both in neighboring HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019240