The Elites' Double Bind: How Economic Liberalization Can Empower Repression The global landscape of democracy is increasingly fragmented, with significant portions of the world's population living in autocratizing countries.
While economic liberalization was once touted as a means to promote democratic politics, research now suggests that it can have the opposite effect.
A key factor contributing to this phenomenon is the role of autocratic political elites. In many cases, liberalization strengthens rather than weakens authoritarian rule.