by Ruth Ben-Ghiat | Nov 8, 2017 | Propaganda
CNN.com, November 8, 2017 How does a democratic political culture turn into something more authoritarian? How do leaders persuade people to accept their repressive agendas, scapegoat targeted groups and disrespect democratic norms? In the year since his election as...
by Ruth Ben-Ghiat | Nov 6, 2017 | Propaganda
Fox News may be enjoying large audiences right now, partly because of its close relationship with the president, but the network is taking a real risk — both to itself and to our democracy — by peddling falsehoods and making the president’s political enemies its...
by Ruth Ben-Ghiat | Oct 7, 2017 | Global Authoritarianism
The New Yorker, October 5, 2017 In the late nineteen-thirties, as Benito Mussolini was preparing to host the 1942 World’s Fair, in Rome, he oversaw the construction of a new neighborhood, Esposizione Universale Roma, in the southwest of the city, to showcase Italy’s...
by Ruth Ben-Ghiat | Jul 20, 2017 | Forecasts
CNN.com, July 20, 2017 Just before Donald Trump took office, I argued that our new President would likely follow the “authoritarian playbook,” an approach toward governance that privileges executive power and makes the leader’s personal goals and...
by Ruth Ben-Ghiat | Jul 2, 2017 | Donald Trump And the GOP
CNN.com, July 2, 2017 We will remember 2017 as the year patriotism started to acquire a new vitality and force among Democrats — and the year that the GOP lost control of its narrative. We have President Donald Trump to thank for both of these things. Over the...
by Ruth Ben-Ghiat | May 25, 2017 | Donald Trump And the GOP
Montana’s starting to look more like Moscow, after then-Republican House candidate Greg Gianforte’s assault Wednesday on Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs. As the Guardian reported and a Fox News reporter in the room confirmed, Gianforte allegedly grabbed...
