Session One: What is Authoritarianism?

 Session One: What is Authoritarianism?

Essential Questions:

• What are the core characteristics of  an authoritarian political system?*

• How is authoritarianism different from democracy, totalitarianism and other forms of government?*

• What is an Autocracy? What are its characteristics?

• What is democratic backsliding?

• What is competitive authoritarianism?

• Why do people support authoritarian leaders?

• What is the authoritarian playbook?

• What strategies have successfully challenged authoritarianism in the past?

 Welcome and Introductions

 Homework for Session Two: (see blog)

Music: "Wake Up," David Bowie and Arcade Fire, Fashion Rocks, 2005, Link to Site

Gathering: A question that I have for the speakers is.... (Chat room)

Speakers:

• In conversation with Nancy Powell  and Greg Gause (bios to follow)

Readings:

•  "Authoritarianism Explained," Protect Democracy, 2024 Link to Site

• "Understanding Authoritarianism: Definitions and Resources, " Horizon Project, Link to Site

• Interview with Anne Applebaum on "Autocracy," PBS News Hour , 8/1/24,Link to site

•"First Signs of Tyranny," NYTimes, 1/25/25 Link to site

• Sarah Repucci and Amy Slipowitz, "The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule," Freedom in the World 2022, Freedom House  Link to Site

• Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, "How Democracies Die," wikipedia Link to Site

• "The Authoritarian Playbook: A Guide to To Recognizing Democratic backsliding," CHATGPT Link to Site

• "How Democracies Defend Themselves Against Authoritarianism," Center for American Progress, 4/9/25 Link to Site

Resources

• Authoritarianism," Wikipedia,  Link to Site

• Timothy Snyder, "On Tyranny," CHATGPT overview,Link to site

• Anne Applebaum, "America's Future is Hungary," The Atlantic, March 31, 2025 Link to Site

• Anne Applebaum, Autocracy,Inc., CHATGPT overview, Link to Site

• Jason Stanley, "The Ten Tactics of Facism , Big Think, Youtube, Link to site

• Kim Lane Scheppele, "How to Lose a Democracy: What America  can learn from the rest of the world," Univ. of Delaware, 2/17/25 Link to Site_

• Hannah Arendt, "Origins of Totalitarianism," Wikipedia, Link to Site

• Ian Bassin, "How to Spot Authoritarianism," TED Talk, 11/2023 Link to Site

Closing: Reflective sentence starters....(chat room)

Quotes:

                            In politics, being deceived is no excuse

                                                        Leszek Kolakowski, from On Tyranny, Timothy Snyder

"Why did all that we're seeing have to happen on our watch? Why now, and why us? I would suggest that there is a reason why the things we are witnessing are happening in our exact time on this planet. Because we are the ones who are made for this moment. We are not in the situation we're facing because we can't handle it, we're in the situation that we're facing precisely because we can. For some reason that only the universe knows, we are exactly where we are supposed to be in the flow of human existence. It will be up to each of us to figure out what we each uniquely can bring to this moment when the planet and species need us most."

—Isabel Wilkerson, Wellesley commencement address 2025