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Imagine a scenario: In the midst of a global depression, national unemployment reaches extraordinary levels. The government implements a severe austerity plan that reduces spending on social programs while increasing taxes. Seeking a scapegoat for the public’s pain, political leaders exploit longstanding cultural resentments toward minority groups and fuel new fears of globalization by appealing to nationalist sentiments. Using persuasion and intimidation, an authoritarian party that initially seized power in part through political appointment gains affirmation from a plurality of voters through the democratic electoral system.
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