Autocracy in America
Autocracy in America

Coming Soon: Season 3 of Autocracy in America

2 min
•Dec 15, 20254 months ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

Season 3 of Autocracy in America examines how the Trump White House is fundamentally rewriting U.S. political rules and institutions. Host Ann Applebaum, drawing on her expertise in democratic collapse, introduces Americans whose lives have been disrupted by radical policy changes including ICE arrests, research funding cuts, and civil service firings.

Insights
  • Democratic erosion follows predictable patterns seen in other countries, where elected leaders systematically dismantle institutional checks to consolidate power
  • Institutional changes (research cuts, civil service firings, military deployment) serve strategic political purposes beyond surface-level messaging
  • Voter suppression through fear and perceived danger is a deliberate tactic in democratic breakdown, reducing electoral participation
  • Legal frameworks are being reinterpreted in real-time, creating uncertainty about what constitutes lawful government action
  • Personal testimonies from affected citizens demonstrate the tangible human impact of systemic political changes
Trends
Erosion of institutional independence and civil service protectionsWeaponization of immigration enforcement against citizensDefunding of research and scientific institutions as political strategyNormalization of military presence in domestic governanceDeliberate creation of legal ambiguity to expand executive authorityFear-based voter suppression tacticsDemand for loyalty and tribute to individual leaders over institutionsSystematic dismantling of democratic checks and balances
Topics
Democratic Backsliding and Institutional CollapseExecutive Power ExpansionImmigration Enforcement and ICE OperationsResearch Funding Cuts and Scientific Institution DefundingCivil Service Firings and Government Workforce ReductionMilitary Deployment in Domestic SettingsLegal Framework ReinterpretationVoter Suppression Through FearComparative AuthoritarianismPolitical Loyalty DemandsRule of Law ErosionDemocratic Participation Decline
People
Ann Applebaum
Host and expert on democratic collapse; analyzes how Trump administration is rewriting U.S. political rules
Quotes
"No other administration has personally ever asked me to do anything that was illegal."
Unknown interviewee
"I've spent a lot of my life studying the ways democracies fracture and then crumble around the world."
Ann Applebaum
"There are so many things I thought were illegal that now appear to be illegal. It's hard to keep a full list."
Unknown interviewee
"When people think that it is going to be too hard, when people think that it is going to be dangerous, they don't vote."
Ann Applebaum
"The Trump administration is now making radical, unprecedented changes to our institutions and to our political system."
Ann Applebaum
Full Transcript
No other administration has personally ever asked me to do anything that was illegal. No. I'm Ann Applebaum, and in this season of Autocracy in America, I'll explain how the Trump White House is rewriting the rules of U.S. politics. I'll start by introducing you to some of the Americans whose lives have been changed as a result. I'm a U.S. citizen, like I'm a veteran. The day I was arrested by ICE agents was July 10th. I never imagined that our funding for, you know, life-saving research would be terminated. Cuts to research in universities, firings of the civil service, heavily armed troops on our streets, they're about more than just bravado. There are so many things I thought were illegal that now appear to be illegal. It's hard to keep a full list. You have, obviously, a very strong leader, and everyone has to pay tribute to him. We will win together, and then we will seek justice together. The Trump administration is now making radical, unprecedented changes to our institutions and to our political system. I've spent a lot of my life studying the ways democracies fracture and then crumble around the world. This is how elected leaders in other countries have assaulted their own political systems in an attempt to rule without challenge. When people think that it is going to be too hard, when they think that it is going to be dangerous, they don't vote. From the Atlantic, Autocracy in America, season three. This is about who wins America. New episodes arrive January 20th, 26th.