Good change : the rise and fall of Poland's illiberal revolution / Stanley Bill and Ben Stanley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bill, Stanley, Author.

Stanley, Ben (Professor), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (Political party).

Democracy--Poland.

Democracy.

Populism--Poland.

Populism.

Poland--Politics and government--1989-.

Poland.

Physical Description:

viii, 350 pages illustrations 24 cm

illustrations.

Place of Publication:

Stanford, California : Stanford University Press, [2025]

Summary:

"Few countries serve as a more useful case study for understanding the global tension between liberal and illiberal conceptions of democracy than Poland. Under the populist Law and Justice (PiS)-led government, a large part of the Polish electorate welcomed the party's "Good Change"--as it described its program--despite accusations of democratic backsliding. PiS offered voters neglected by previous governments a combination of economic redistributionism and cultural traditionalism, supplemented with narratives of bolstering Poland's national prestige and sovereignty. Yet, after eight years of success, it was defeated in the October 2023 elections by a "pro-democratic" coalition. The history of PiS shows both the strengths and weaknesses of democratic illiberalism as a challenge to liberal democracy. Bill and Stanley analyze the course and causes of the party's successes and failures. The authors deftly outline PiS's assault on democratic institutions, its paradigm-changing redistributive programs, cultural backlash agenda, politics of history, and the reasons for its fall from power. Poland's democracy has proven resilient to the specter of autocratization, but its future development under a new government raises fresh questions. This essential book considers what the rise and fall of Poland's illiberal government reveals about the future of liberal democracy and its ongoing transformations in the 21st century"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction : democratic illiberalism in power and defeat

Before the good change : from post-communist to social-liberal divide

Left-behind Poland and beyond : the sources of PiS's support

The assault on liberal democratic institutions

Nativist economics : "a Polish model of the welfare state"

Cultural backlash and liberalizing response

Security, sovereignty, and the politics of history

The defeat of PiS and the rise of a new liberal government

Changes to democracy : Poland's illiberalism in wider context

Conclusion : the legacy of the good change.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-331) and index.

Other Format:

Online version Bill, Stanley Good change

ISBN:

9781503634565

1503634566

9781503643680

1503643689

OCLC:

1501538841