In this episode we unpack how democracies can erode slowly and legally, using Hungary as a detailed case study and drawing conceptual parallels to vulnerabilities in the United States. Guests examine autocratic legalism and the “Frankenstate” model: how constitutional rewrites, electoral changes, personnel purges, media consolidation (e.g., KESMA), and normalized emergency powers hollow out democratic substance while preserving rituals like voting.
We explore the information environment and why citizens often fail to perceive backsliding — the role of soft media capture, partisan echo chambers, and expert–public perception gaps. The conversation connects these dynamics to U.S. risks (e.g., Schedule F, expansive official-immunity claims, narrative flooding) and highlights the psychological drivers: mega-identities, negative partisanship, motivated reasoning, and identity-protective cognition that keep bases loyal despite norm-breaking.
Listeners will hear comparative examples (Poland, Brazil, India), data on public perception and trust, and concrete heuristics for diagnosing democratic health at home: is the playing field fair? Are emergency powers temporary? Are independent media and the civil service free from politicization? The episode equips listeners with practical flashcards and a roadmap to spot subtle erosion before it becomes entrenched.
