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The essay analyzes the historical relevance, confluence of contributing factors, and broader systemic implications of the emphatic electoral victory of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the 2022 Philippine presidential election. Accordingly, it provides an overview of the structural vulnerabilities of Philippine democracy, the contingent factors that facilitated Marcos Jr.’s electoral success, the personal background and predisposition of the new president, and the likely key features and policy thrusts of his presidency. Overall, the essay frames Marcos Jr.’s victory as the latest victory of authoritarian populism. In historical terms, it represents the latest “counterrevolution” in modern history, namely, the successful return to power of the ancien régime through systematic exploitation of the vulnerabilities of postrevolutionary regimes.
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