Juan Linz

Who was Juan Linz?

Juan José Linz was a Spanish sociologist and political scientist. He was Sterling Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Yale University and an honorary member of the Scientific Council at the Juan March Institute. He is best known for his theories on totalitarian and authoritarian systems of government.

Linz was born in Bonn, Germany. In addition to his work on systems of government, he did extensive research on the breakdowns of democracy and the transition back to a democratic regime. He is the author of many works on the subject, including Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation: Southern Europe, South America, and Post-Communist Europe, his seminal work Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes and his influential essay 'The Perils of Presidentialism'.