Lorenzo Zucca (King's College London – The Dickson Poon School of Law) has posted Safeguarding Democracy: The Role of Mixed Constitutions in Preventing Authoritarian Drift on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
We are witnessing an alarming rise in authoritarian tendencies. Even countries with longstanding traditions of liberal democracy, such as the UK and the US, are not immune to this phenomenon. However, little is new in this troubling trend: the political history of the world, from ancient Greece to the present, displays a perpetual fight against authoritarian drifts in the face of crisis and instability. A combination of factors, including the erosion of democratic norms, the concentration of power, political polarisation, corruption, incompetence, economic instability, and external threats, can threaten a Republic's slide into authoritarianism. So, how do we prevent a republican regime from sliding toward authoritarianism? I argue that part of the solution lies in the idea of mixed constitutions. Dating back to Aristotle's exploration of various forms of governance, this ancient concept has undergone numerous transformations, though its precise meaning remains somewhat elusive. However, the basic point of a mixed constitution is to disperse power, thwarting its dangerous concentration and preventing its abuse.
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