Steven Levitsky: America's Descent into Authoritarianism | FFRF Convention 2025

Harvard professor Stephen Levitsky, co-author of "How Democracies Die" and "Tyranny of the Minority," delivers a gripping keynote on America’s democratic backslide. Levitsky outlines how institutions, elites and the Republican party have enabled the erosion of democracy, describing the U.S. slide into “competitive authoritarianism.” He urges civic engagement, protests like “No Kings Day,” and collective resistance to restore democratic norms.

Watch more from FFRF's 2025 Convention • FFRF Convention 2025

0:00 Introduction
2:29 Speech
42:00 Q&A

Learn more about the Freedom From Religion Foundation at https://ffrf.org/
Interview: 

https://youtu.be/sTi17Ap70MY?si=9RPSxXU44m1HnXC3

The Great Abdication (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio podcast)

Harvard Professor Steven Levitsky, author of How Democracies Die, tells us about “The Great Abdication: America’s Descent into Authoritarianism.”

Interview: 

https://ffrf.org/news/freethought-radio/freethought-today-october-30-2025/