An essential test for democracies is not whether such figures emerge but whether political leaders, and especially political parties, work to prevent them from gaining power in the first place-by keeping them off mainstream party tickets, refusing to endorse or align with them, and when necessary, making common cause with rivals in support of democratic candidates. Isolating popular extremists requires political courage. But when fear, opportunism, or miscalculation leads established parties to bring extremists into the mainstream, democracy is imperiled.
In "How Democracies Die," Steven Levitsky emphasizes that a key challenge for democracies is not the presence of extremist figures, but the responsibility of political leaders and parties to prevent these individuals from gaining influence. This involves actively excluding them from mainstream political arenas, not endorsing them, and sometimes collaborating with opposing factions to support candidates who uphold democratic values.
Levitsky argues that it takes political courage to isolate extremists, but succumbing to fear or opportunism to incorporate them into the mainstream can jeopardize democratic integrity. The failure of established parties to act decisively against extremist influences can pose significant risks to the democracy itself.
