Defending Democracy

How does a democracy deal with threats to its stability and continued existence when those threats come from political parties that play the democratic game? In Defending Democracy, political scientist Giovanni Capoccia studies key European nations between World Wars I and II which survived such democratic crises. A comprehensive and thoughtful historical analysis of the democracies of interwar Europe, Defending Democracy provides a unique perspective on the many lessons to be learned from their successes and failures. With this exclusively empirical investigative approach, Capoccia develops a methodology for analyzing contemporary democracies—such as Algeria, Turkey, Israel, and others—where similar political conditions are present. Given the rise of terrorism and the persistence of extremism in both established and new democracies today, continued research and dialogue on the defense of democracy are necessary for its preservation.''A well-crafted study that sheds additional light on how and why democracy was not altogether submerged in the troubled interwar period.''—Richard F. Crane''Defending Democracy is likely to spark fruitful discussion.''—Perspectives on Politics''Capoccia's exploration is both informative and provocative . . . would equally benefit students and scholars of democratic government, interwar Europe and the survival and breakdown of democratic regimes.''—Political Studies Review''Elegant, comprehensive, and innovative book . . . Well worth a careful read.''—Democratization