Examining the role of personalist political parties, or parties that exist primarily to further their leader's career as opposed to promote a specific policy platform, and using original data capturing levels of personalism, this book shows that the rise of personalist parties around the globe is facilitating the decline of democracy. The fantastic trio of Frantz, Kendall-Taylor, and Wright have delivered again! The Origins of Elected Strongman is a must reading for anyone who wants to understand democratic decline and collapse today. While many accounts of democratic decline point to populism or polarization as the main triggers of incumbent takeovers, The Origins of Elected Strongmen shows the key role of political institutions - specifically incumbent political parties - in paving the way for leaders to dismantle democracy. Where these parties are personalist, it is a red flag for democracy. And tragically, there are too many of these kinds of parties in too many important democracies today.