The Making of an Autocrat

The Conversation

The Conversation Documentaries (formerly The Anthill) is podcast from The Conversation. Our documentary series cover everything from science to the environment, politics, culture and economics. We unearth new stories from the world of academia and talk to experts to shed light on some of the big questions of today. The Conversation is a not-for-profit independent media organisation and our journalists work with academics to help share their research knowledge with as many people as possible.

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The Making of an Autocrat

Episodes (100)

Jan 4th The Making of an Autocrat: co-opt the military
Jan 4th The Making of an Autocrat: suppress the people
Dec 28, 2025 The Making of an Autocrat: beat the courts

The Making of an Autocrat

Jan 4, 2026
20 minutes
28 MB

In November, six Democratic lawmakers recorded a video directed at members of the US military and intelligence agencies. In it, they issued a blunt reminder: "The laws are clear: […] You must refuse illegal orders." The lawmakers were issuing the warning against the backdrop of US airstrikes on boats off the coast of Latin America the Trump administration claims are suspected drug runners. Many Democrats and legal experts, however, argue these strikes are illegal. Since returning to office, Trump has successfully expanded his power over his own party, the courts and the American people. No...

The Making of an Autocrat

The Making of an Autocrat: co-opt the military

The Conversation

00:00 -20:04