The Evolution of Non-Democratic State Typologies in Democratization Literature, 1975 to the Present

The set of readings covered in this review essay use the definitions of democracy crafted by scholars like Dahl (liberal democracy) and Schumpeter (electoral democracy) to create a metric that allows individuals to determine what democracy is not. The creation of this metric began with Juan J. Linz's work, Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes. Linz expanded on the work of Robert Dahl, who in his Polyarchy would briefly discuss different non-democratic regimes, through the creation of a tripartite division in non-democratic states. Finding the typology of non-democratic states by Linz to be lacking, scholars like Larry Diamond would add "hybrid regimes" and Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way would add "competitive authoritarian" typologies to research surrounding non-democratic states..Scholars like Nicholas Van De Walle would apply these new typologies to the varying regimes in Africa, while empirical works such as those created by Marc Morje Howard and Philip G. Ross have provided a level of forecasting ability previously unreachable.