Distinguished Professor Ali Riaz made a presentation titled “How Countries Become Autocratic,” organized by the Asia Committee of the College of DuPage at Glen Allyn, Illinois on April 29.
Riaz argued that the world is experiencing the third wave of autocratization since 2006. While there is no single, universal framework for explaining the process, there are three drivers which accelerate the process, he said. They are: pernicious polarization; spreading of misinformation through social media, particularly by state actors; and decreased support for democratic norms.
Riaz laid out a theoretical approach to understand the process. The approach has four elements: context, actors, strategies, and audience. He insisted that would-be autocrats’ strategies involve not only institutional changes but also construction of a legitimizing ideology. Besides, in recent years the emerging autocrats received support from China and Russia. While highlighting the process of autocratization in Bangladesh, Turkey, and Hungary, Riaz noted that India is treading the same path and there are disturbing indications within U.S. politics.
