104. Warning Signs of Authoritarianism

Here's the goal of this episode: to give you a practical framework for recognizing the patterns that can weaken a democracy before the answer becomes obvious. Because these days, authoritarianism often doesn't arrive with tanks in the streets or a coup. Often it develops gradually, through elections, legal changes, weakened institutions, and leaders who argue that the normal rules are getting in the way. In this episode, we look at warning signs of authoritarianism through stories from Peru, France, the Philippines, Venezuela, and more. Using a framework from political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, we’ll explore four questions you can ask of any political leader, along with ideas from Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Anne Applebaum, Sergei Guriev, Daniel Treisman, and Timothy Snyder. Books mentioned: How Democracies Die — Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt Strongmen — Ruth Ben-Ghiat Spin Dictators — Sergei Guriev & Daniel Treisman Twilight of Democracy — Anne Applebaum Autocracy, Inc. — Anne Applebaum On Tyranny — Timothy Snyder Support the podcast and get ad-free episodes + bonus resources at patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast. ⁠Sources⁠ used in this episode. Join Wiser World on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wiserworld.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices