Authoritarianism: How You Know It When You See It
Authoritarianism is the concentration of power in the hands of a small group of people who act in ways that are not constitutionally accountable to the people they are meant to represent and serve. It is a constellation of traits in a political, economic, and/or social system, which often include:
A concerted effort by a network of organizations and institutions (governmental, legal, educational, media, business, military police, religious and cultural institutions, etc.) to legitimize an oppressive system by providing it legal and political support, material resources (i.e. money, communication networks), and human resources (people, skills) to maintain control.
A system that is willing to engage in a spectrum of undemocratic practice from corruption and sowing lies and conspiracy theories, to using fear and violence in order to manipulate, divide people, and maintain power.
The misuse of the power of the state to advance the personal and/or partisan desires of the head of state or a ruling clique (e.g., persecuting political opponents, subverting honest elections).
Often emerges “legally”, by democratically elected leaders who subvert democratic norms and institutions to stay in power.
A slow and quiet advance over a period of years where small battles weaken the foundations of democracy, which can culminate in a period of rapid democratic losses and decline.
What are the Core Attributes of Authoritarianism?
Rejecting democratic rules of game.
Denying the legitimacy of opponents.
Tolerating or encouraging political violence.
Curtailing the civil liberties of opponents.
Breaking down social cohesion to divide and rule a society.
What are the Top 10 Elements of the Authoritarian Playbook?
Divide and rule: Foment mistrust and fear in the population.
Spread lies and conspiracies: Undermine the public’s belief in truth.
Destroy checks and balances: Quietly use legal or pseudo-legal rationales to gut institutions, weaken opposition, and/or declare national emergencies to seize unconstitutional powers.
Demonize opponents and independent media: Undermine the public’s trust in those actors and institutions that hold the state accountable.
Undermine civil and political rights for the unaligned: Actively suppress free speech, the right to assembly and protest and the rights of women and minority groups.
Blame minorities, immigrants, and “outsiders” for a country’s problems: Exploit national humiliation while promising to restore national glory.
Reward loyalists and punish defectors: Make in-group members fearful to voice dissension.
Encourage or condone violence to advance political goals: Dehumanize opposition and/or out-groups to justify violence against them.
Organize mass rallies to keep supporters mobilized against made-up threats: Use fearmongering and hate speech to consolidate in-group identity and solidarity.
10.Make people feel like they are powerless to change things: Solutions will only come from the top.
Are we there yet? No. However, we are much closer to the above than we were at the end of last year. Just consider Element #1: Divide and rule: Foment mistrust and fear in the population.
We have seen major law firms, such as Paul Wiess, buckle because of fear
We have seen media, such as ABC News, buckle because of fear
We have seen business, such as Amazon, buckle because of fear
We have seen universities, such as Columbia University, buckle because of fear
We have seen a political party, the entire Republican Party, buckle because of fear
What can we do to push back against Authoritarianism?
We must form large, diverse, cross-partisan and cross-ideological pro-democracy fronts or movements with a shared vision; strategy; and clear, concrete demands. We must:
Build the capacity of pro-democracy coalitions and movements to manage constructive tensions, center relationships, and prioritize larger collective goals.
Train pro-democracy coalitions and movements in nonviolent discipline and violence de-escalation in the face of authoritarian violence.
Invest in opportunities for inter- and intra-group dialogue connected to collective action to break down assumptions, develop empathy and understanding, and build trust at the grassroots by working together to combat authoritarian practices.
Diversify the range of nonviolent tactics to include methods of concentration (protests, rallies, sit-ins), and methods of dispersion (walkouts, stay-aways, consumer boycott, labor strikes); not doing what authoritarians expect and want.
Engage members of key organizational “pillars” like religious institutions, business groups, unions, professional associations, bureaucracies, media institutions, and security forces in pro-democracy mobilization.
Provide pathways for individuals within key pillars that morally or materially support the authoritarian system to join the pro-democracy cause.
Each of us, as individuals, can and should participate in one of the hundreds of ‘NO KINGS’ Nationwide Day of Defiance on Flag Day, during Trump’s Birthday Parade, on Saturday, June 14th.
The Horizons Project and Beyond Conflict partnered to create the video below, to support broad-based “united front” organizing in response to the rising authoritarian threat in the US and globally.
Better understanding the brain’s response to fear, toxic othering, and threats to social identity will help pro-democracy organizers to confront the authoritarian playbook and come together across difference, to work more effectively towards a multi-racial, pluralistic, and inclusive democracy.