Andrew Marantz, a staff writer at The New Yorker, shares crucial lessons from Hungary's slide into autocracy, offering warnings for the U.S. Márton Gulyás, founder of Hungary's leading independent news show, discusses the fight for press freedom under oppressive regimes. Maria J. Stephan, a political scientist, introduces the powerful '3.5% rule,' explaining how even small segments of a population can lead successful nonviolent resistance. Together, they explore resilience in the face of democratic erosion and strategies for effective resistance.
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insights INSIGHT
Hungary's Stealthy Autocracy
Hungary's democratic erosion is subtle, using gradual control rather than open force.
This hidden authoritarian shift quietly removes checks and balances under the guise of legality.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Hungarian Media's Gradual Erosion
The top independent Hungarian news site Index fell under loyalist ownership, eroding editorial independence gradually.
Partizan, a dissident YouTube channel, emerged as a key independent media outlet despite government opposition.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Journalists Must Stay Professional
Journalists must regulate anger and remain professional even in hostile political environments.
Avoid creating ideological bubbles; critique all sides to maintain respect and broaden reach.
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This book presents a comprehensive analysis of nonviolent resistance, demonstrating its strategic advantages over violent insurgency. Through statistical analysis and case studies, Chenoweth and Stephan show that nonviolent campaigns are more successful in achieving regime change and territorial independence. They highlight factors such as higher participation, tactical innovation, and shifts in loyalty among regime supporters as key to their success.
How Democracies Die
Steven Levitsky
Daniel Ziblatt
In this book, Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt examine the breakdown of democracies, arguing that modern democracies do not die in a sudden coup but rather through the slow erosion of critical institutions and political norms. Drawing on decades of research and examples from 1930s Europe to contemporary cases in Hungary, Turkey, Venezuela, and the American South during Jim Crow, the authors highlight the importance of mutual toleration and forbearance in maintaining democratic stability. They identify key indicators of authoritarian behavior, such as the rejection of democratic rules, denial of opponents' legitimacy, tolerance of violence, and curtailment of civil liberties. The book also discusses the role of political parties in defending democracy and proposes solutions to counteract democratic backsliding, including elite-level cooperation, addressing social inequalities, and restoring democratic norms[2][4][5].
President Donald Trump’s countless executive orders and mounting deportations are testing America’s democratic institutions. On this week’s On the Media, what we can learn from Hungary’s recent backslide into autocracy. Plus, why resistance movements throughout history have succeeded with 3.5 percent of the population, or less, behind them.
[01:36] Host Micah Loewinger speaks with Andrew Marantz, a staff writer at The New Yorker, about his recent piece, “Is the U.S. Becoming an Autocracy?” and what we can learn from Hungary’s recent backsliding into authoritarianism.
[16:17] Micah speaks with Márton Gulyás, founder of Partizán, Hungary’s leading independent news show, about what lessons journalists in the US might take away from his experience.
[37:53] Micah sits down with Maria J. Stephan, political scientist and co-author of Why Civil Resistance Works, to dissect the 3.5% rule, a statistic that’s been making its rounds on social media, which is a measurement of the power of collective action. Stephan and her co-researcher Erica Chenoweth first coined the term in 2010.
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