Whyleaders,notcitizens,arethedrivingforceinEurope’scrisisofdemocracyAseemingexplosionofsupportforright-wingpopulistpartieshastriggeredwidespreadfearsthatliberaldemocracyisfacingitsworstcrisissincethe1930s.DemocracyErodesfromtheToprevealsthattherealcrisisstemsnotfromanincreasinglypopulistpublicbutfrompoliticalleaderswhoexploitormismanagethechronicvulnerabilitiesofdemocracy.Inthisprovocativebook,LarryBartelsdismantlesthepervasivemythofapopulistwaveincontemporaryEuropeanpublicopinion.Whiletherehasalwaysbeenasubstantialreservoirofpopulistsentiment,Europeansarenolesstrustingoftheirpoliticiansandparliamentsthantheyweretwodecadesago,nolessenthusiasticaboutEuropeanintegration,andnolesssatisfiedwiththeworkingsofdemocracy.Anti-immigrantsentimenthaswaned.Electoralsupportforright-wingpopulistpartieshasincreasedonlymodestly,reflectingtheidiosyncraticsuccessesofpopulistentrepreneurs,thefailuresofmainstreamparties,andmediahype.Europe’smostsoberingexamplesofdemocraticbacksliding--inHungaryandPoland--occurrednotbecausevoterswantedauthoritarianismbutbecauseconventionalconservativeparties,onceelected,seizedopportunitiestoentrenchthemselvesinpower.Bydemonstratingtheinadequacyofconventionalbottom-upinterpretationsofEurope’spoliticalcrisis,DemocracyErodesfromtheTopturnsourunderstandingofdemocraticpoliticsupsidedown.
