“The Authoritarian Playbook,” a report released in 2022 by the nonpartisan organization Protect Democracy, offers an evaluative framework for answering these questions. It identifies seven tactics through which “would-be authoritarians pursue power” and cause democratic systems to “backslide towards more authoritarian forms of government.” Because modern Western autocrats rarely come to power through overtly authoritarian means—Hitler himself assumed power through democratic institutions—learning to recognize the dangers is crucial if we are to defend democracy before the backsliding occurs.
The “Playbook” offers evidence that Mr. Trump and the Republican Party have shown a willingness to use the tools of authoritarianism, and it provides examples from the first Trump administration….
Politicizing independent institutions. Independent institutions such as the Department of Justice and state election offices are crucial to functioning democracies because they are staffed by qualified professionals who carry out the mission of their agencies according to the law, not according to the whims of a president or governor. This ensures continuity as well as expertise. According to the “Playbook,” attempts to politicize these institutions are often “cloaked in language delegitimizing non-partisan and professional civil service…such as by labeling it ‘the deep state.’” Efforts to undermine the integrity of these institutions, or to weaponize them for political power, should be resisted. (One example: Under the Trump Administration, the Department of Agriculture prevented its staff from using the term “climate change” or reporting on the effect of climate change on crops.)
Spreading disinformation. It is common for politicians to “spin” facts to further their own agendas, but lies that are repeated aggressively to manipulate public perception are a hallmark of authoritarian campaigns. For example, the authors of the “Playbook” write, the “big lie” that the 2020 election was stolen, and the sense of grievance that lie inspires, “are almost certain to drive authoritarian attitudes for years to come.”…
We should condemn authoritarianism by acting democratically. Chris Crawford, a policy strategist at Protect Democracy, identifies what this approach might entail: “We need to build a broad coalition of people who may have strongly held differences of opinion on politics or policy, but who are willing to prioritize the defense of our democracy. This does not mean that the differences go away, but it means that we can preserve the system that allows us to have those disagreements peacefully.”
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