How Democracies Die

by

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt

A coup d’état is a violent overthrow of a government, often by a small group of political or military leaders.

Coup d’état Quotes in How Democracies Die

The How Democracies Die quotes below are all either spoken by Coup d’état or refer to Coup d’état. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
American Tyranny Theme Icon
).
Introduction Quotes

Blatant dictatorship—in the form of fascism, communism, or military rule—has disappeared across much of the world. Military coups and other violent seizures of power are rare. Most countries hold regular elections. Democracies still die, but by different means. Since the end of the Cold War, most democratic breakdowns have been caused not by generals and soldiers but by elected governments themselves. Like Chávez in Venezuela, elected leaders have subverted democratic institutions in Georgia, Hungary, Nicaragua, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Ukraine. Democratic backsliding today begins at the ballot box.

Related Characters: Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt (speaker), Hugo Chávez
Page Number: 5
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4 Quotes

Although some elected demagogues take office with a blueprint for autocracy, many, such as Fujimori, do not. Democratic breakdown doesn’t need a blueprint. Rather, as Peru’s experience suggests, it can be the result of a sequence of unanticipated events—an escalating tit-for-tat between a demagogic, norm-breaking leader and a threatened political establishment.
[…]
Many [demagogues] do eventually cross the line from words to action. This is because a demagogue’s initial rise to power tends to polarize society, creating a climate of panic, hostility, and mutual distrust. The new leader’s threatening words often have a boomerang effect. If the media feels threatened, it may abandon restraint and professional standards in a desperate effort to weaken the government. And the opposition may conclude that, for the good of the country, the government must be removed via extreme measures—impeachment, mass protest, even a coup.

Related Characters: Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt (speaker), Alberto Fujimori
Page Number: 75
Explanation and Analysis:
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Coup d’état Term Timeline in How Democracies Die

The timeline below shows where the term Coup d’état appears in How Democracies Die. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Introduction
Authoritarianism vs. Democratic Norms Theme Icon
Global and Historical Patterns Theme Icon
...the Chilean military bombed the presidential palace and ousted the elected president, Salvador Allende. Such coups d’état are the classic way to destroy democracy, and they happened frequently during the Cold... (full context)
Authoritarianism vs. Democratic Norms Theme Icon
...leaders gradually destroy it to keep power. This backsliding is a dangerous pattern because, unlike coups d’état, it happens slowly, and “there are no tanks in the streets.” Democratic institutions appear... (full context)
Chapter 1: Fateful Alliances
Extremism and Gatekeeping Theme Icon
Global and Historical Patterns Theme Icon
...the hopes of preserving order—but they created autocracies instead. For example, Hitler led a failed coup attempt in 1923, went to jail, and then founded the Nazi Party. In the 1930s,... (full context)
Extremism and Gatekeeping Theme Icon
Global and Historical Patterns Theme Icon
...the country’s economy, increased poverty, and caused unrest in the 1980s. Chávez led two failed coups in 1992, but the elderly ex-president, Rafael Caldera, responded by embracing Chávez. Caldera became massively... (full context)
Chapter 4: Subverting Democracy
Authoritarianism vs. Democratic Norms Theme Icon
Global and Historical Patterns Theme Icon
...out crises in order to rig the government in their favor. Fujimori justified his 1992 coup d’état by pointing to the guerrilla insurgency, and Marcos likely orchestrated the very bombing that... (full context)
Authoritarianism vs. Democratic Norms Theme Icon
Global and Historical Patterns Theme Icon
...on Moscow. Similarly, in Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan used ISIS terror attacks and a 2016 coup attempt to justify calling emergency elections and cracking down on thousands of officials, journalists, and... (full context)
Chapter 9: Saving Democracy
American Tyranny Theme Icon
Authoritarianism vs. Democratic Norms Theme Icon
Polarization and Inclusive Democracy Theme Icon
Global and Historical Patterns Theme Icon
...to crack down on them. When Hugo Chávez’s opponents tried to oust him through a coup, general strike, and election boycott, they actually destroyed their own credibility and gave Chávez a... (full context)