Background
Linz was born in Bonn, Germany.
historian political scientist sociologist university professor
Linz was born in Bonn, Germany.
Complutense University of Madrid.
He is best known for his theories on totalitarian and authoritarian systems of government. 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 (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, co-authored with Alfred Stepan), his seminal work Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes (Rienner, 2000) and his influential essay "The Perils of Presidentialism".
He died, aged 86, in New Haven, Connecticut.
Academia Europaea; American Academy of Arts and Sciences]
He was Sterling Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Political Science at Yale University and an honorary member of the Scientific Council at the Juan March Institute.