OPINION — The current state of democracy in the world is fragile. According to the V-Dem Project, which measures global democracy, 41% of the world’s population live in autocratizing countries — that is, those becoming more authoritarian. In fact, a “third wave of autocratization” has seen democracy pushed back to levels not seen since 1978, the authors of the 2026 V-Dem report conclude. Worse, many of the 92 autocracies around the world are becoming more repressive.
And all this is happening while the economy has globalized — something that many political economists thought would encourage democracy among previously undemocratic nations. So what’s going on? We spoke to Arizona State University’s José Kaire, whose book, “The Road to Repression: How Neoliberalism Fuel Violence,” explores the link between economic liberalization and the slide into deeper authoritarianism. Here's what he had to say:
Walk us through your theory
