Distinctions With a Difference
Illiberalism and Authoritarianism in Scholarly Study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6349750 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Julian G Waller (0000-0003-0457-9905, George Washington University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 365-386 |
| Publication date | 2024-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Political Studies Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1478-9299 • E-ISSN: 1478-9302 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/14789299231159253 |
| OpenAlex | W4327950583 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 16 |
| References cited | 118 |
Comparative social science concepts such as “illiberalism” and “authoritarianism” are increasingly common terms of art used in academic and policy debates, yet usage patterns and their substantive meaning vary widely across publications and authors. This article presents parsimonious “best-use” conceptualizations of both constructs, underlining the limitations of current, often widely disparate practices. In doing so, it outlines the reasons why this state of affairs is analytically unnecessary, leading to both conceptual stretching and terminological confusion. Illiberalism can most fruitfully be conceptualized positively and ideationally, capturing a distinct form of ideological reaction against hegemonic liberalism, experienced largely over the last several decades, with a variety of case-specific elements. This definition sits in partial contradistinction with other, sometimes-associated concepts such as anti-liberalism, populism, or conservatism and is not associated with regime-type definitionally. Authoritarianism, meanwhile, is most parsimoniously treated as a residual categorization of political regime vis-a-vis the concept of electoral democracy, which accords with the goals for which most scholars deploy it
Authoritarianism · Categorization · Conservatism · Democracy · Economics · Epistemology · Hegemony · Ideology · Liberalism · Meaning (existential · Political science · Politics · Populism · Positive economics · Social science · Sociology · Variety (cybernetics · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Philosophy · Populism, Right-Wing Movements · Social Policy and Reform Studies
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Really existing liberalism, the bulwark fantasy, and the enabling of reactionary, far right politics1
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Crisis-exploitation or fear-mongering? A research agenda for the comparative study of policy crises and illiberal policy frames
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Polyarchy
Parliamentarism
Why Liberalism Failed
Culture Shift in Advanced Industrial Society
Democracy
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Democracy and the Market
Authoritarian Personality
Conservative Parties and the Birth of Modern Democracy in Europe
The Antiliberal Idea
In Defense of Liberal Public Reason
Illiberal Regime Types
A Liberal Argument for Slavery
Authoritarian Liberalism and the Transformation of Modern Europe
The Ideational Core of Democratic Illiberalism
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Totalitarian Dictatorship and Autocracy
Illiberal Practices
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What authoritarianism is … and is not
Entering the ‘post-shame era’
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Left-wing authoritarianism is not a myth, but a worrisome reality. Evidence from 13 Eastern European countries
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Prius or Pickup? How the Answers to Four Simple Questions Explain America’s Great Divide
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Does the Choice of Democracy Measure Matter? Comparisons between the Two Leading Democracy Indices, Freedom House and Polity IV
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Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy
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The Democratic Quality of Institutional Regimes
A Tripartite Approach to Right-Wing Authoritarianism
How the Cases You Choose Affect the Answers You Get
Legitimacy in Autocracies
Autocratic Breakdown and Regime Transitions
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Comparing and Miscomparing
Elections Without Democracy
Democratic Support, Populism, and the Incumbency Effect
The Quality of Democracy
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Modernization, Cultural Change, and the Persistence of Traditional Values
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Illiberalism
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Concept Misformation in Comparative Politics
Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development
Democratic Quality in Stable Democracies
Populism
Civil-Military Relations in the Season of Military Populism
Selecting Cases for Intensive Analysis
Fascism and Populism
| Unique citing works | 16 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 5,33 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2026 (4) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 16 |