First‑Wave Democracy Is a Myth

David Art (via this review) argues that nineteenth‑century European 'democratization' was neither widespread nor durable: many regimes counted as early democracies were piecemeal, limited, and often retained ancien‑régime features, meaning the supposed first wave was a series of ripples rather than an inexorable tide. The book claims scholars have systematically overcounted and mischaracterized these regimes by relying on misleading datasets and teleological narratives. — Reframing the first‑wave story changes how publics justify modern democratic institutions, informs civic education, and alters the rhetorical basis for celebrating liberal progress at home and abroad.