In 2002, Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way identified a new type of hybrid regime: competitive authoritarianism. Neither fully democratic nor fully authoritarian, these were regimes in the middle, with meaningful democratic institutions but significant authoritarian tendencies.
Levitsky and Way’s landmark essay clarified the shifting democratic landscape of the late twentieth century. Now, competitive authoritarianism more than anything else explains the state of global democracy today.
Elections Without Democracy: The Rise of Competitive Authoritarianism
In recent years, new types of nondemocratic government have come to the fore, notably competitive authoritarianism. Such regimes, though not democratic, feature arenas of contestation in which opposition forces can challenge, and even oust, authoritarian incumbents.
Steven Levitsky and Lucan A. WayPlus their 2020 update:
The New Competitive Authoritarianism
In recent years competitive authoritarianism has emerged in some countries with relatively strong democratic traditions and institutions.
Steven Levitsky and Lucan A. Way