Political geography III: Authoritarian geographies

Abstract

The third progress report on political geography focuses on authoritarian geographies around the world. Although most studies analyze the practice of authoritarianism in a particular country, several themes are evident across these distinct local contexts: a sense of grievance, a perception that a chosen group has been replaced or threatened, a certainty that an outside group is to blame, and a desire to act, at almost any cost, to restore the chosen group to its previous status. The report also considers the authoritarian fascination with digital spaces, cryptocurrencies, infrastructure, and nature. The review identifies the expansion of authoritarian politics while highlighting a growing body of scholarship examining its implications at the local, national, regional, and global scales.