Index. Introduction -- Part one : Conclusion : sharp power and the threat to democracy / 1. The authoritarian assault on knowledge / Christopher Walker -- 2. How autocrats undermine media freedom / Edward Lucas -- 3. How Beijing runs the show in Hollywood / Aynne Kokas -- 4. The Kremlin playbook for Latin America / Ruslin Stefanov and Martin Vladimirov -- 5. China's tech-enhanced authoritarianism / Samantha Hoffman -- 6. China's pandemic power play / Nadege Rolland -- Part two : Blunting sharp power's edge -- 7. Transparency wins in Europe / Martin Hala -- 8. Taiwan's democracy under fire / Ketty W. Chen -- 9. How Australia's civil society led the way / John Fitzgerald -- 10. Countering Beijing's media manipulation / Sarah Cook -- 11. Conclusion : sharp power and the threat to democracy / Christopher Walker -- About the authors -- Index.
Summary:
"This contributed volume will deepen our understanding of how sharp power is reforging international politics"-- Provided by publisher. "Explores how authoritarian regimes are deploying "sharp power" to undermine democracies from within by weaponizing universities, institutions, media, technology, and entertainment industries.The world's dictators are no longer content with shoring up control over their own populations-they are now exploiting the openness of the free world to spread disinformation, sow discord, and suppress dissent. In Defending Democracy in an Age of Sharp Power, editors William J. Dobson, Tarek Masoud, and Christopher Walker bring together leading analysts to explain how the world's authoritarians are attempting to erode the pillars of democratic societies-and what we can do about it. Popular media, entertainment industries, universities, the tech world, and even critical political institutions are being manipulated by dictators who advance their regimes' interests by weakening democracies from within. Autocrats' use of "sharp power" constitutes one of the gravest threats to liberal, representative government today. The optimistic, early twenty-first-century narrative of how globalization, the spread of the internet, and the rise of social media would lead to liberalization everywhere is now giving way to the realization that these same forces provide inroads to those wishing to snuff out democracy at the source. And while autocrats can do much to wall their societies off from democratic and liberal influences, free societies have not yet fully grasped how they can resist the threat of sharp power while preserving their fundamental openness and freedom.Far from offering a counsel of despair, the international contributors in this collection identify the considerable resources that democracy provides for blunting sharp power's edge. With careful case studies of successful resistance efforts in such countries as Australia, the Czech Republic, and Taiwan, this book offers an urgent message for anyone concerned with the defense of democracy in the twenty-first century.Contributors: Ketty W. Chen, Sarah Cook, William J. Dobson, John Fitzgerald, Martin Hala, Samantha Hoffman, Aynne Kokas, Edward Lucas, Tarek Masoud, Nadege Rolland, Ruslan Stefanov, Glenn Tiffert, Martin Vladimirov, Christopher Walker"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.