People get ready should be the call to action of the day. Given that, here is the Authoritarian Playbook:
Create a Crisis Narrative
Manufacture or exaggerate threats to national security or identity
Frame opponents as existential dangers to society
Use fear to justify emergency powers and exceptional measures
Control the Information Ecosystem
Undermine independent media through regulation, economic pressure, or direct attack
Create alternative information sources loyal to the regime
Flood media space with contradictory information to erode concept of objective truth
Weaponize Law and Institutions
Capture courts and electoral bodies through strategic appointments
Use seemingly legal means to target opposition ("lawfare")
Rewrite rules while maintaining democratic appearance
Polarize and Divide Society
Amplify existing social divisions to prevent broad coalitions
Create clear in-groups and out-groups in rhetoric and policy
Reward loyalty over competence or integrity
Delegitimize Opposition
Label critics as enemies of the state or people
Question opponents' patriotism or legitimacy
Criminalize normal opposition activities
Blur Public and Private Power
Forge alliances with economic elites for mutual benefit (arguing for business “efficiency” in government)
Create systems of corruption that bind supporters to the regime (use business efficiency as a justification for contracting with business for government services, as one vector)
Use economic pressure as political leverage
Gradual Institutional Capture
Start with less visible institutions before tackling more protected ones (faith-based initiatives)
Proceed incrementally to avoid triggering broad resistance
Establish precedents that enable further power consolidation
Selective Enforcement
Apply laws inconsistently to punish enemies and reward allies
Create chilling effects through high-profile examples (and through off-shoring detainers to jurisdictions outside of the U.S.)
Maintain plausible deniability about political motivations (immigrant invasion; trumped up terrorist threats)
Undermine Civil Society
Co-optation of influential organizations
Offering leadership positions, resources, or status to co-opt independent organizations
Creating government-organized nonprofits (including religious one) that mimic civil society groups but serve regime interests
Absorbing independent organizations into government apparatus for easier surveillance
Legal and bureaucratic constraints
Implementing restrictive registration laws and burdensome reporting requirements
Creating vague legal frameworks that can selectively target critical organizations
Using "foreign agent" laws to stigmatize organizations receiving international support
Financial strangulation
Cutting off domestic funding sources for independent organizations
Blocking international funding through banking restrictions or legal prohibitions
Imposing excessive taxes or fines on targeted organizations
Surveillance and infiltration
Planting informants and collaborators within civil society organizations
Monitoring communications, meetings, and activities of activists
Using digital surveillance tools to track organizing efforts
Targeted repression
Arresting, detaining, or harassing key organization leaders
Using tax audits, fire inspections, or other administrative measures as punishment
Intimidating staff members and their families to induce self-censorship
Narrative control and delegitimization
Labeling civil society organizations as "foreign agents" or "extremists"
Creating propaganda to discredit civil society leaders and their work
Portraying activists as threats to national security or cultural values
Divide-and-conquer tactics
Creating divisions between different civil society groups
Selectively rewarding compliant groups while punishing others
Pitting different segments of society against each other
Restricting freedom of assembly
Requiring permits for public gatherings that are selectively denied
Using excessive force to disrupt peaceful protests
Maintaining laws allowing for arbitrary dispersion of gatherings
Controlling information flow
Restricting internet access during critical periods
Blocking or shutting down communication platforms used by activists
Creating information bubbles to isolate civil society from international support
Weaponizing crises
Using emergencies (health, security, economic) to justify extraordinary restrictions
Never fully lifting emergency powers after crises subside
Exploiting genuine concerns to implement disproportionate controls
Exploit Democratic Processes
Use democratic procedures and language while hollowing out substance
Hold elections with predetermined outcomes
Implement majoritarian policies that erode minority protections
Countering the Authoritarian Playbook: Action Plan for Democratic Resilience
Here's a strategic framework for what we can do to protect and strengthen democratic institutions and civil society:
Strengthen Democratic Infrastructure
Fortify electoral systems with transparent processes, paper backups, and independent oversight
Invest in civic education that teaches critical thinking and democratic values across generations
Support independent judiciary reforms that prevent partisan capture of courts
Advocate for election financing reforms to reduce the influence of concentrated wealth on politics
Build Resilient Information Ecosystems
Support independent journalism through subscriptions, donations, and community funding models
Develop media literacy programs to help citizens distinguish credible information from propaganda
Create alternative funding models for local news that aren't vulnerable to economic pressure
Establish fact-checking networks with transparent methodologies and broad institutional support
Strengthen Civil Society Organizations
Diversify funding sources to avoid dependency on any single donor or government support
Create mutual aid networks between organizations for resource-sharing and protection
Develop decentralized organizational structures that can survive if leadership is targeted
Build international solidarity networks to provide support when domestic resources are threatened
Foster Social Cohesion
Create dialogue spaces across political and social divides to humanize "the other"
Highlight shared values and concerns that transcend partisan divisions
Develop early warning systems to identify polarizing tactics and coordinated disinformation
Practice inclusive politics that addresses legitimate grievances that authoritarians exploit
Protect Institutional Independence
Create accountability mechanisms for institutional capture by the people through transparent oversight
Document and challenge norm violations before they become normalized
Support whistleblower protections for those who expose abuses of power
Develop cross-partisan coalitions focused on protecting democratic processes over policy outcomes
Economic Democratization
Support economic models that distribute power more widely (worker ownership, cooperatives)
Strengthen antitrust enforcement to prevent economic concentration that enables political capture
Create community wealth-building initiatives that reduce economic dependency on authoritarians
Develop economic resilience at local levels to withstand pressure tactics, especially through mutual aid.
Tactical Innovation
Use creative resistance approaches that are harder to repress than traditional protests, like kitchen table activism, micro strikes, specifically targeted boycotts
Employ strategic nonviolence techniques with proven effectiveness against authoritarian tactics, and deploy them not just in protest, but celebration
Leverage technology for secure communication and coordination while avoiding surveillance
Document abuses systematically to create accountability through domestic and international channels, including documentation of violence against women, lgbtq people, and children in authoritarian cults and networks
Long-term Cultural Work
Cultivate democratic culture through arts, media, and community practices
Tell compelling stories about democratic values that resonate emotionally, not just intellectually
Build intergenerational movements that pass on democratic knowledge and tactics
Reclaim patriotic symbols and narratives from authoritarian misappropriation
Personal Practices
Maintain hope and perspective - authoritarian systems have inherent weaknesses and contradictions; be poised to act on opportunity
Practice democratic values in personal relationships and organizations
Build community resilience through local connections and mutual support networks
Avoid burnout by recognizing this is a marathon, not a sprint
The authoritarian playbook is powerful but not invincible. Throughout history, democratic movements have prevailed against seemingly insurmountable odds by combining strategic thinking, broad-based organizing, and moral clarity. The key is to start where you are, at the local level, build coalitions across differences, and remain committed to the long-term project of democratic renewal.
Thank you for another great post! For folks yearning for more ideas on building personal resilience in the face of authoritarian aggression:
Destabilizing Us Is Their Goal. Here’s How To Resist
Stay Human Weekly #5: This week’s news cycle is especially punishing. These tiny moves help protect our focus and stay human under pressure.
https://paultshattuck.substack.com/p/destabilizing-me-is-their-goal-heres