Jørgen Møller is Professor of Political Science at Aarhus University. His research interests include comparative-historical methodology, international relations theory, and historical studies of representative institutions, the politics of succession, religious-lay interactions, and civil conflict. He is author/co-author of State Formation, Regime Change and Economic Development (Routledge, 2017), Democratic Stability in an Age of Crisis (OUP, 2020), The Catholic Church and European State Formation, AD 1000-1500 (OUP, 2022), and The Politics of Succession: Forging Stable Monarchies in Europe, AD 1000-1800 (OUP, 2022).

Svend-Erik Skaaning is Professor of Political Science at Aarhus University, project manager for Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem), and consultant for International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). His research interests include the definition, measurement, explanations, and effects of democracy and other governance-related issues. He is author/co-author of Requisites of Democracy (Routledge, 2011), Varieties of Democracy (CUP, 2020), Democratic Stability in an Age of Crisis (OUP, 2020), and Democracy (JHUP, 2022).

Introduction Part I: Concepts 1. Conceptions of democracy from ancient Greece to our time 2. Typologies of democratic and autocratic regimes Part II: Currents 3. Historical processes of democratization and autocratization 4. Regime changes in the twenty-first century: a new wave of autocratization? Part III: Causes 5. Deep roots 6. Modernization 7. Social forces 8. Agency, institutions, and integrative approaches 9. International factors Part IV: Consequences 10. War, civil conflict, and violent repression 11. Growth, equality, environment, and disaster management Part V: Challenges 12. Crisis of democracy in developed countries? Conclusions: looking back and looking forward