Authoritarian Practices: Introduction

We do not argue with those who disagree with us, we destroy them. Benito Mussolini

A growing number of astute political observers cite a global trend of authoritarianism since 1990. Countries like Russia, Turkey, India, Hungary and even the United States erode or effectively abolish democratic institutions and freedoms.  These observers – mainly scholars and journalists – situate authoritarianism in a historical context, often beginning with the Fascist leaders of the early 20th century – Italy’s Benito Mussolini and Nazi Germany’s Adolf Hitler and the Communist regimes of Stalin’s Russia and Mao Zedong in China. 

But what is authoritarianism?  How does it take hold of a polity?  How do authoritarian leaders gain and keep power?  Some people refer to these practices as an “Authoritarian playbook.” Of course, authoritarianism is not uniform. It varies in degrees of centralized power and brutality from Hitler and Stalin to Trump’s sustained efforts to erode democracy in the United States.  However, authoritarian leaders often borrow techniques from each other.  For instance, Hitler’s propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, travelled to Italy to study Mussolini’s methods to apply them to a rising Nazi Germany.  Donald Trump and his supporters echoed Victor Orban of Hungary’s conspiracy of billionaire George Soros as the leftist boogeyman and adapted Make Hungary Great Again to his MAGA mantra. As scholars like Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Jason Stanley point out, contemporary authoritarian tactics are not new but inspired by past authoritarian leaders.

Soviet Leader Josef Stalin

Over the next year, we will publish blogs on authoritarian practices that some call the Authoritarian Playbook.  All writings will focus on the broader context, beginning with the post-WWI years, to explore similarities and crucial differences. 

Donald Trump

Here is the list of upcoming topics.  

  1. What is Authoritarianism?  Historical interpretations.
  2. The Authoritarian Playbook: An Overview of Authoritarian Tactics
  3. The National Myth (Mythical Past)
  4. Us vs. Them: Fostering Division and Repression
  5. Attacking the Truth: Eroding Facts and Media credibility
  6. Re-education. Undermining Intellectual Challenges
  7. Undermining Checks and Balances (e.g. Judiciaries)
  8. Cult of Personality – “The Strongman”
  9. Corrupters and Enablers
  10. Using Violence
  11. Resistance and Downfall

Stay tuned for our first blog on authoritarianism – What is Authoritarianism?  Historical interpretations.

Bibliography

Ben-Ghiat, Ruth. Strongmen, From Mussolini to the Present.  New York: W.W. Norton and Company Inc., 2020.

Davis, Kenneth. Strongman: The Rise and Fall of Democracy. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2020

Glasius, Marlies. (2018). What authoritarianism is and is not: A practice perspective. International Affairs. 94. 515-533. 10.1093/ia/iiy060.

Stanley, Jason.  How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them. New York: Random House, 2018.

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