Some nations of the world have fallen into autocracy or outright dictatorship. Others are democracies, anocracies (quasi-democracies with features of both democracies and autocracies), or pseudo-democracies (autocracies pretending to be democracies). Some of these nations still can prevent themselves from falling into the dictatorship trap. They have a choice, but what will they do? This article discusses the current state of governance in the world, how autocrats emerge, and what can be done—especially in our educational systems—to prevent their emergence. Strengthening democracy, which, according to Freedom House, has been on a steady long-term decline, must be a priority for schooling of young people today.
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