ABSTRACT
Juan Peron suffocated Argentine democracy in the late 1940s and early 1950s, for instance; then in 1955, he was dislodged by a military coup, and his unhappy country suffered a series of dictatorships that sought to forestall the populist chieftain's return to power. Similarly, Thaksin Shinawatra governed in increasingly undemocratic ways, which helped to provoke a takeover by the armed forces. The chapter supports these arguments by examining first the historical trajectories of major populist experiences from various time periods and regions. It explains the main perspective, namely the theoretical reasons for populism's strong association with authoritarianism. The chapter contributes to the debate about the causes and conditions under which populist leaders manage to proceed along the path toward authoritarian rule. It explores the much-discussed relationship of populism and fascism, and summarizes the principal findings.
