Dictating the Agenda : The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics

A conference organised to mark the publication of "Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics" (Oxford University Press), with the participation of its authors : 

• Alexander Cooley is the Claire Tow Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University. 
  From 2015-2021 he served as the fifteenth director of Columbia University's Harriman Institute and from 2022-2025 served as the Vice Provost for Research at Barnard College. Professor Cooley's research examines how international actors have influenced the governance, sovereignty, and security of the post-Communist states. In addition to his academic publications, Professor Cooley's commentaries have appeared in Foreign Affairs, New York Times, and Washington Post, and he has testified for the US Congress, UK Parliament, and the Parliament of Canada.
• Alexander Dukalskis is associate professor in the School of Politics & International Relations at University College Dublin. His research and teaching interests include authoritarian politics, human rights, and Asian politics. He is also a frequent expert commentator in national and international media on these themes. From 2022-2024 he directed UCD's Centre for Asia-Pacific Research. He is the author of two previous books, Making the World Safe for Dictatorship (Oxford University Press, 2021) and The Authoritarian Public Sphere (Routledge, 2017), and academic articles in several leading journals.

Dictating the Agenda : The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics

Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis (Oxford University Press)

Abstract:  Following the end of the Cold War, the world experienced a remarkable wave of democratization. Over the next two decades, numerous authoritarian regimes transitioned to democracies, and it seemed that authoritarianism as a political model was fading. But as recent events have shown, things have clearly changed. Based on their new book Dictating the Agenda, Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis reveal how today's authoritarian states are actively countering liberal ideas and advocacy surrounding human rights and democracy across various global governance domains. The authors will present original data gathered in areas that include global media, sport, consumer advocacy campaigns, and transnational higher education. They will also discuss the changing role of the United States in shaping these trends.