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.
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.
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.