Daniel Ziblatt Books
January 1, 1972
Daniel Ziblatt is a Professor of Government at Harvard University. His research and teaching interests include democratization, state-building, comparative politics, and historical political economy, with a particular focus on European political development.
Conservative Parties and the Birth of Democracy
- 448 pages
- 16 hours of reading
A bold re-interpretation of democracy's historical rise in Europe, Ziblatt highlights the surprising role of conservative political parties with sweeping implications for democracy today.
Donald Trump's presidency has raised a question that many of us never thought we'd be asking: Is our democracy in danger? Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt have spent more than twenty years studying the breakdown of democracies in Europe and Latin America, and they believe the answer is yes. Democracy no longer ends with a bang--in a revolution or military coup--but with a whimper: the slow, steady weakening of critical institutions, such as the judiciary and the press, and the gradual erosion of long-standing political norms. The good news is that there are several exit ramps on the road to authoritarianism. The bad news is that, by electing Trump, we have already passed the first one. Drawing on decades of research and a wide range of historical and global examples, from 1930s Europe to contemporary Hungary, Turkey, and Venezuela, to the American South during Jim Crow, Levitsky and Ziblatt show how democracies die--and how ours can be saved.
Structuring the State
The Formation of Italy and Germany and the Puzzle of Federalism
- 238 pages
- 9 hours of reading
Focusing on the national unifications of Germany and Italy, this book offers a systematic comparison that challenges conventional theories of social science regarding modernization. It explores the origins of these nation-states and their implications for European political development, providing fresh insights into their historical contexts and contemporary relevance. By examining these cases, the book contributes to ongoing debates about the nature of state formation and political evolution in Europe.