Resources
#HoosierSolidarity Conversation Guide: This guide provides simple tips for having conversations with people, wherever they are on the “conversation continuum.”
#HoosierSolidarity Book & Movie Discussion Guide: This guide offers suggestions for using books or movies to facilitate discussion about what is happening and the historical context for how we got here.
#HoosierSolidarity Reaching the (Un)reachable: If there are people in your life who feel “unreachable,” this guide is for you. It offers ways to set boundaries and embrace thoughtful reflection to prepare yourself for “reachable moments” where conversation is possible, despite deep ideological divides.
Authoritarianism
The United States started to see accelerated democratic erosion after Donald Trump was first elected President in 2016. By the time of his 2nd inauguration eight years later, we entered a period of democratic breakdown. What we are currently experiencing is a state known as “competitive autocracy” or “competitive authoritarianism,” described as a “hybrid form of government, in which leaders gain power through democratic institutions and then violate some of the criteria necessary for democratic regimes” by Harvard professor Steve Levitsky.
This is a dangerous period in history where the outcomes of the 2026 and 2028 federal elections will determine whether or not we experience full autocratic breakthrough. The next few months will be a roller coaster. The MAGA cult is fracturing, the Trump regime is unpopular, the American public is waking up to the lie. The regime will become more desperate and will accelerate the slide into full blown authoritarianism. Viktor Orbán is their muse.
We must not underestimate their intentions for destroying our liberal democracy and replacing it with Hungary’s illiberal democracy. The only solution is the people’s movement of resistance. That movement is growing. If you are not already a part of the resistance, please join us. Our freedoms and our future depend on it.
Learn more:
Harvard experts discuss competitive authoritarianism (Susan A. Hughes, Oct 2025)
Fourteen Steps to Tyranny: How Autocratic Breakthrough Happens and How We Can Stop It (Thom Hartmann, Jun 2025)