Autocracy in America

Autocracy in America

There are authoritarian tactics already at work in the United States. To root them out, you have to know where to look.

Episodes

Introducing Autocracy in America

August 16, 2024 • 2 mins
There are authoritarian tactics already at work in the United States. To root them out, you have to know where to look. Autocracy in America is produced by The Atlantic and made possible with support from the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, an academic and public forum dedicated to strengthening global democracy through powerful civic engagement and informed, inclusive dialogue. Learn more about your ad choices. V...
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Start With a Lie

September 6, 2024 • 38 mins
The corruption of democracy begins with the corruption of thought—and with the deliberate undermining of reality. Stephen Richer, an election official in Arizona, and Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican congressman, learned firsthand how easily false stories and conspiracy theories could disorient their colleagues. They talk with hosts Anne Applebaum and Peter Pomerantsev about how conformism and fear made it impossible to do their...
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Capture the Courts

September 13, 2024 • 29 mins
In authoritarian states, the public has no agency and no real access to justice. Renée DiResta, a scholar who researches online information campaigns, struggled to counter false accusations leveled against her after a series of courts accepted them without investigation. As courts become more political, people could begin to assume justice is impossible. This is the second episode of Autocracy in America, a new five-part series ab...
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Consolidate Power

September 20, 2024 • 34 mins
Donald Trump has vowed to eliminate hundreds of workers across federal agencies if he becomes president again. Consolidating power and placing friends in key roles are textbook autocratic maneuvers, but they also are not new in the United States. This episode revisits the story of Louisiana Governor Huey Long, who sought to take over the apparatus of government in his state, just as illiberal leaders have done in other countries.  ...
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Join the Kleptocracy

September 27, 2024 • 32 mins
Since the earliest days of the republic, America’s international friendships have shaped domestic politics. And some of those friendships helped America strengthen its democratic principles. So what happens if America’s new friends are autocrats? John Bolton, former national security adviser for President Donald Trump, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island argue that if America no longer leads the democratic world and inst...
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Politicize ‘Freedom’

October 4, 2024 • 26 mins
Freedom in the United States is a word that has had more than one meaning. It has meant freedom for some people and the repression of others. In a democracy, freedom also means the right to take part in politics. So how can that freedom best be secured?  This is the fifth episode of Autocracy in America, a five-part series about authoritarian tactics already at work in the United States and where to look for them. Autocracy in Am...
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Introducing: We Live Here Now

October 25, 2024 • 44 mins
Hosts Anne Applebaum and Peter Pomerantsev talk with Hanna Rosin about the new series We Live Here Now. Rosin, along with her co-host, Lauren Ober, recently found out that their new neighbors moved to Washington, D.C., to support January 6 insurrectionists. They knocked on their door. We Live Here Now is a podcast series about what happened next. Subscribe to We Live Here Now here: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeart Autoc...
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Bonus: Goldberg on Signalgate

April 11, 2025 • 30 mins
Anne Applebaum speaks with The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg about the consequences of the Signal breach. This conversation was recorded live from The New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world....
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Coming Soon: A New Season of Autocracy in America

June 27, 2025 • 2 mins
The former world chess champion and lifelong democracy activist Garry Kasparov guides a new series of conversations about society’s complacency with liberal values and how this carelessness has fueled a democratic retreat—and a new belligerence among dictators. New episodes launch every Friday, starting July 11. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning jou...
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