Is democracy dying? Dictatorships are only getting more sophisticated while democracies are on the ropes. Some think we are at the beginning of a new and terrifying political age.
Trump promises future with no voting
Despotic: Nowadays, autocracies are run not by one bad guy, but by sophisticated networks composed of kleptocratic financial structures, security services and professional propagandists, says Anne Applebaum in her new book. Glossary
Anarchy - A situation in which there are no rulers. The term can be used to describe complete political chaos or mob rule, but those who call themselves anarchists generally believe in mutual aid and cooperation, not a war of all-against-all.
Gold Standard - The system, abandoned in the Depression of the 1930s, by which the value of a currency was defined in terms of gold.
Soviet Union - Officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). A powerful group of communist republics, the biggest being Russia, that existed from 1922 to 1991.
Francis Fukuyama - An American political scientist best known for his argument that the whole world will one day embrace liberal democracy.
Authoritarian - Enforcing strict obedience to authority.
Project 2025 - A possible agenda for a new Donald Trump presidency drawn up by conservative think tank Heritage Foundation.
Republican Party - Also known as the Grand Old Party or GOP, it is one of the USA's two major political parties. Its first president was Abraham Lincoln. It sits on the right of the political spectrum.
Civil service - The civil service helps the government to develop and carry out policies. Civil servants are non-political, remaining in place when political parties enter and leave office.
Christian nationalist - The idea that a country is defined by Christianity, and that the government should make laws to keep the nation that way. Often spoke about in context of the USA.
Autocracy - A society ruled by a single person or group with absolute power.
Propaganda - Information, which may be biased or misleading, used to promote a certain viewpoint.
Benjamin Constant - A Swiss political thinker and republican, born in 1767.