Dr. Lucan Way

Biography

Lucan Ahmad Way received his BA from Harvard College and his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on global patterns of democracy and dictatorship. His recent book, co-authored with Steven Levitsky, titled "Revolution and Dictatorship: Violent Origins and Durable Authoritarianism" (Princeton University Press, 2022), provides a comparative historical explanation for the extraordinary durability of autocracies that emerge from violent social revolutions. Way also authored the book "Pluralism by Default: Weak Autocrats and the Rise of Competitive Politics" (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015), which examines the sources of political competition in the Soviet Union. He argues that pluralism in the developing world emerges from authoritarian weakness, as fragmented governments struggle to monopolize political control. His earlier work on competitive authoritarianism has been widely cited, contributing to research on the dynamics of hybrid democratic-authoritarian regimes. He has published articles in esteemed journals such as the American Journal of Political Science and Comparative Politics. Way has held fellowships at Harvard University and the University of Notre Dame.

Research Interests

Experience