The Authoritarian Edge: When Democracy Becomes a Game The term "competitive authoritarianism" has sparked debate about the current state of American governance.
Beneath the surface level discussion lies a more profound concern: is liberal democracy slowly surrendering ground to a new, insidious form of rule?
Competitive authoritarianism was first described by scholars Juan Linz and Alfred Stepan in 1996 as regimes where elections are held but the outcome is predetermined.