Authoritarianism Studies

Authoritarianism Studies

Book cover for "Separation of Powers" by Cass R. Sunstein, featuring bold red, white, and blue text blocks that highlight the importance of separation of powers, with the subtitle "How to Preserve Liberty in Troubled Times.
In this excerpt from Separation of Powers, Cass Sunstein explains how the U.S. Constitution prevents such a concentration of authority from turning democracy into despotism.
A globe is encircled by golden barbed wire against a gray background, evocative of autocracy and symbolizing restriction or confinement with a sense of luxury.
Modern autocracies operate "not like a bloc but rather like an agglomeration of companies," says journalist and historian Anne Applebaum.
A painting of a group of people standing in front of a church.
Science and philosophy seem to be separate fields, but philosophical advancements have made the world more accepting of debate and unorthodox ideas.
What began as public outcry against Iran’s so-called morality police has snowballed into a mass movement targeting the very essence of the Islamic republic.