Beyond the Ballot: the Rise of Competitive Authoritarianism with Steven Gardiner
About this episode
Koki interviews Steven Gardiner about the implications of Trump's second term on U.S. democracy and the rise of competitive authoritarianism.
In this season finale episode, Koki talks to Steven Gardiner, PRA Principal Research Advisor, to reflect on the first year of Trump's second term and its implications for U.S. democracy. While the MAGA base remains about 15% of the U.S. and Trump’s approval ratings remain low, the Trump administration has chipped away at democratic norms, maintained control over the Republican party, decimated the bureaucratic state, and is poised to interfere with the 2026 midterms and likely 2028 elections beyond through strategies of “contested authoritarianism.” But the highly visible actions of immigration enforcement, violations of the constitution, and nods toward White supremacy do not equate with chaos alone. Gardiner lays out how these are spectacles that mobilize, fear-monger, and deliberately normalize repression, erode democracy, and spur further political violence. He also discusses the effects of Project 2025 in action, attacks on trans rights and bodily sovereignty, and the roles of Dominionist theologies and Christian nationalism more broadly. The episode concludes by focusing on opportunities for division and dissent within the U.S. Right, along with the difficult but necessary…
More episodes of Inform Your Resistance
- Prosecuting "Antifa": The Prairieland Case and Its Implications for Organizers
- Fracturing the MAGA base: A conversation on the War in Iran and its Reverberations at Home, with Steven Gardiner
- All Eyes on Minneapolis: Lessons on Resisting Authoritarianism
- Belligerence Abroad, Repression at Home: From Venezuela to ICE, with Steven Gardiner
- How 287(g) Expansion Fuels Mass Deportations
- The New Frontlines of Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Inform Your Resistance podcast page.