The Authoritarian Playbook

Introduction

Authoritarianism rarely announces itself with a coup or a sudden collapse of institutions. More often it arrives gradually, in a series of moves that seem technical, bureaucratic, or even temporary at first. A law reinterpreted here, a regulator sidelined there, a media outlet defunded, a court’s reach narrowed, a protest suppressed. No single act feels like the end of democracy, but taken together they shrink the space where ordinary people can speak, organize, and hold leaders accountable.

Around the world, political scientists have identified a recurring pattern: a playbook for how would-be strongmen weaken democracies from the inside. The signs are familiar—eroding constitutional checks, punishing independent media, undermining due process, and policing dissent. These patterns are visible today not just in Hungary, Turkey, or Russia, but here in the United States. Some of the warning signs are already unfolding: government pressure on journalists, sweeping executive orders that test constitutional limits, defamation lawsuits against critical outlets, and attempts to reshape immigration enforcement outside normal due process.

This page is not meant to catalog every specific policy. Instead, it’s a reference guide to the broader authoritarian playbook. These are the moves to watch for. Recognizing the signs matters—because once enough people see the pattern, they are harder to normalize and easier to resist.

The Authoritarian Playbook: Warning Signs

1. Politicizing Independent Institutions

Authoritarians weaken watchdogs and neutral bodies by:

  • Stacking courts and commissions with loyalists
  • Removing inspectors general or agency heads who provide oversight
  • Turning law enforcement into a tool for political payback

2. Spreading Disinformation

Democratic erosion thrives when leaders flood the public with falsehoods:

  • Casting doubt on elections or judicial rulings without evidence
  • Labeling critical reporting as “fake news”
  • Amplifying conspiracy theories to sow confusion

3. Aggrandizing Executive Power

Consolidating power often happens through:

  • Expanding executive orders and emergency powers
  • Sidestepping legislatures by ruling through decree
  • Undermining career civil servants and replacing them with loyalists

4. Quashing Dissent

When space for criticism narrows, democracy weakens:

  • Conditioning press access on favorable coverage
  • Intimidating media outlets with lawsuits or regulatory threats
  • Passing laws that chill protest or restrict public gatherings

5. Marginalizing Vulnerable Communities

Authoritarian leaders often target minorities to rally support:

  • Restricting citizenship, voting rights, or legal protections
  • Using immigration enforcement as a political weapon
  • Policing culture and identity through schools and public institutions

6. Corrupting Elections

At the heart of authoritarianism is control of the ballot box:

  • Manipulating voting rules or district maps for partisan advantage
  • Undermining independent election officials
  • Spreading false claims to delegitimize outcomes

7. Stoking Violence and Militarizing Politics

Fear and force are tools of control:

  • Deploying federal troops or militarized police into local communities
  • Encouraging or excusing political violence by supporters
  • Rebranding defense and security institutions for domestic use

Why This Matters

These patterns are not abstract. Each one has been documented in democracies that later slid into authoritarian rule. And several are already visible in the United States today: restrictions on press freedom, attempts to erode due process in immigration, sweeping executive actions that push constitutional boundaries, and open hostility toward watchdog institutions.

The good news is that recognizing the playbook is the first step to resisting it. When citizens know the warning signs, they are less likely to normalize them—and more likely to defend the democratic guardrails that remain.

Learn More

This framework is based on research by Protect Democracy and the Authoritarian Playbook 2025 project, which compiles examples and analysis of how authoritarian leaders consolidate power. See the full resource here: authoritarianplaybook2025.org