Autocracy, Inc.: The Hidden Global Network Threatening Democracy

We picture autocracies as oppressive regimes ruled by a single, power-hungry dictator. But in the 21st century, that image is outdated and dangerously misleading. Today’s autocratic states don’t operate in isolation, nor do they rely on a lone strongman at the top. Instead, they function as sophisticated, global networks, where kleptocratic financial systems, security forces, and propaganda machines work together—not just within countries, but across borders.

In Autocracy, Inc., Anne Applebaum unravels this new era of authoritarianism, revealing how dictators and corrupt elites support each other, trading resources, money, weapons, and disinformation. The police forces of one country train those of another; state-run companies collaborate across continents; troll farms coordinate propaganda campaigns that erode faith in democracy worldwide. Unlike past political alliances, this shadowy network isn’t bound by ideology, geography, or culture—only by power and self-preservation.

Applebaum exposes how the democratic world has inadvertently fueled this system and offers a compelling roadmap to fight back. The battle isn’t just about nations—it’s about us: the citizens of free societies, and whether we can recognize, resist, and dismantle the forces working to undermine our freedoms.