Aftershocks: Great Powers and Domestic Reforms in the Twentieth Century

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Description

"Over the past century, democracy spread around the world in turbulent bursts of change, sweeping across national borders in dramatic cascades of revolution and reform. 'Aftershocks' is the first book to offer a detailed explanation for this wavelike spread and retreat--not only of democracy but also of its twentieth-century rivals, fascism and communism"--Back cover.

Reviews

"One of Foreign Affairs Best of Books 2017 Political and Legal / Globalization"
"Highly recommended. . . . The conclusion is especially strong and provocative, speculating that though democracy has advantages that prevent crises from becoming so severe they threaten stability, autocratic capitalism may be a viable alternative if democracy fails to provide security and prosperity for its people." * Choice *
"In this landmark study, Gunitsky . . . illuminates the deep connections between global shfits in power and waves of domestic regime change. . . . No book has made a stronger case that the fate of democracy is tied to the rise and fall of great powers and the leadership of liberal hegemonic states." * Foreign Affairs *
"Aftershocks is a tour de force, traveling across the twentieth century, simultaneously providing a parsimonious theoretical map of the entire century's experience with democratic breakthroughs and breakdowns, while also remaining immersed in rich historical detail. . . . Gunitsky has given us a powerful lens to understand not only the past but the present as well."---Daniel Ziblatt, Perspectives on Politics

Author Bio

Seva Gunitsky is assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto.