Steven Bartlett with Anne Applebaum
The book argues that modern democracies rarely end with tanks in the streets. They are hollowed out when elected leaders use corruption, electoral manipulation, personnel capture, information control, and coercive force to make losing harder and accountability weaker.
Corruption is not just misconduct but a governing method, turning state power into a tool for rewarding loyalists, punishing opponents, and enriching the ruling circle.
Electoral manipulation helps leaders avoid the uncertainty of fair competition by reshaping maps, rules, and administrative barriers so opposition voters are disadvantaged.
Personnel capture weakens democratic resilience by removing neutral officials and replacing them with loyalists, making the state serve the leader instead of the law.