Includes bibliographical references and index.

When democracy breaks -- The U.S. secession crisis as a breakdown of democracy -- The breakdown in democracy in 1930s Japan -- Weimar Germany and the fragility of democracy -- The failures of Czech democracy: 1918-1948 -- "September 11, 1973: breakdown of democracy in Chile" -- The Indian Emergency (1975-1977) in historical perspective -- Democratic breakdown in Argentina, 1976 -- Democratic collapse and recovery in ancient Athens (413-403) -- Why Russia's democracy broke -- A different "Turkish Model": exemplifying de-democratization in the AKP Era -- Venezuela's autocratization, 1999-2021.

"Democracy is often described in two opposite ways, as either wonderfully resilient or dangerously fragile. Curiously, both characterizations can be correct, depending on the context. In a relatively small number of countries, democracy has survived numerous shocks across many generations, while in others it has faltered or collapsed, whether after just a short time or a long period of apparent strength. Some broken democracies have reconstituted themselves as democracies once again, while others have notably failed to do so"-- Provided by publisher.