Noted recall: The goal is to describe, in just a few words, what the article is about. Additionally, if I think the article is particularly note-worthy (good or bad), I will comment on that. Compare this to a small sticky note, something to jog your memory about the contents of an article. Of course, if I miss the point of an article, or fail to find anything remarkable, that is entirely the fault of the reviewer.
Available at: https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/issue/january-2020/
Iranians Turn Away from the Islamic Republic - Ladan Boroumand
(read 2020/01/15)
Some history of Iran under Khomeini. Discussions of slow trend towards liberalization by the people.
The Cutting Edge of Sharp Power - Christopher Walker, Shanthi Kalathil, and Jessica Ludwig
(read 2020/01/15)
The role of technology in society, how authoritarian regimes influence technology around the world. Examples of editing wikipedia, and selling surveillance technology.
The Puzzle of Authoritarian Legitimacy - Andrew J. Nathan
(read 2020/01/15)
Discussion of Asian Barometer Society surveys. How Asian and East Asion countries seem to have more institutional trust in authoritarian regimes than in democracies. (Institutional trust and regime legitimacy are both measured). Mentions several possible reasons the surveys may be inaccurate, but gives explanations for why the surveys are probably accurate.
Democracy's Inevitable Elites - Ghia Nodia
(read 2020/01/16)v
This was a really good article. Starts with review of Robert Michel and his 1911 book Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy. The theme of the book was that oligarchies naturally arise; that people need to elect representatives, and those representatives tend to be people that want that position and also happen to use it for personal gain (the argument is a bit more elegant than summarized here). Michel eventually became disenchanted with democracy and supported Mussolini. The second half of the article compares this thinking with modern notions of populism. What causes people to be critical of democracy and turn towards populism. Some thoughts on the proper way to address such issues.