Autocratization
Autocratization . or to write it out in full, Autocratization by gradual institutional erosion. Not necessarily a common household word. But easy enough to understand when you break it down. Autocratization The process by which a political system moves away from democracy toward autocracy. Crucially, it doesn't require arriving at full autocracy; the movement itself is the phenomenon. A country can be autocratizing while still holding elections and maintaining formal democratic structures. gradual Occurring in small, incremental steps over time rather than through a single rupture. Each step is individually deniable or defensible. The significance is cumulative, not episodic. This is what distinguishes the modern phenomenon from coups — there is no single moment you can point to as " the day democracy ended. " institutional Pertaining to the formal and informal structures that organize political life: courts, legislatures, electoral bodies, the civil service, the press, p...
