Life in Authoritarian Regimes
This term describes the use of punishment, coercion, or violence by governments to suppress political opposition.
What is repression?
This Canadian prime minister has served since 2015 and is the son of former prime minister.
Who is Justin Trudeau?
This North Korean leader inherited power after the death of his father in 2011.
Who is Kim Jong Un?
This U.S. government department oversees immigration enforcement and border security.
What is the Department of Homeland Security?
Following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, this Nordic country ended decades of military nonalignment and joined NATO in 2023.
What is Finland?
In many authoritarian states, citizens must be careful when discussing politics in public because the government may monitor conversations through this practice.
What is surveillance?
This Ukrainian president became internationally known for his leadership after Russia invaded his country in 2022.
Who is Volodymyr Zelenskyy?
This Chinese leader secured a third presidential term after removing the two-term limit from the Chinese constitution.
Who is Xi Jinping?
Student protests across many American universities in 2024 focused on the war between Israel and this Palestinian militant organization.
What is Hamas?
In 2024, this international court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes related to the Gaza conflict.
What is the International Criminal Court (ICC)?
This political tool involves spreading messages designed to shape public opinion in favor of a government or leader.
What is propaganda?
This German leader became chancellor in 2021 following the long tenure of Angela Merkel.
Who is Olaf Scholz?
This long-time Belarusian leader has ruled the country since 1994 and relied heavily on Russian support after mass protests in 2020.
Who is Alexander Lukashenko?
This social media platform has been the focus of congressional hearings over fears its parent company could share user data with the Chinese government.
What is TikTok?
Tensions between China and this Southeast Asian country escalated in 2023–2025 after repeated confrontations between coast guard vessels near the Second Thomas Shoal.
What is the Philippines?
Citizens in authoritarian regimes often cannot freely organize demonstrations or political gatherings because the government restricts this political right.
What is freedom of assembly?
This Indian leader has served as prime minister since 2014 and leads the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Who is Narendra Modi?
This Venezuelan leader succeeded Hugo Chávez and has been widely criticized for democratic backsliding and authoritarian rule.
Who is Nicolás Maduro?
The United States has increasingly restricted exports of advanced semiconductor technology to this country as part of a broader strategic rivalry.
What is China?
This militant group, backed by Iran and based in Lebanon, has engaged in frequent cross-border attacks with Israel during the Gaza war.
What is Hezbollah?
This political phenomenon occurs when a regime elevates its leader through propaganda, imagery, and messaging that portrays them as heroic or infallible.
What is a personality cult?
This Polish leader returned to power in 2023 after an opposition coalition defeated the Law and Justice party.
Who is Donald Tusk?
This Iranian leader has served as Supreme Leader since 1989 and holds ultimate authority over Iran’s political system. (And was recently killed)
Who is Ali Khamenei?
The United States has carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets to protect shipping routes in this strategically important sea.
What is the Red Sea?
China’s construction of artificial islands and military facilities in this strategic maritime region has intensified territorial disputes with several Southeast Asian countries.
What is the South China Sea?
This concept describes the difficulty individuals face when they all want change but fear participating unless others act first.
What is the collective action problem?
This Australian prime minister has led the Labor Party government since 2022.
Who is Anthony Albanese?
This man became Iran’s Supreme Leader in March 2026 after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei.
Who is Mojtaba Khamenei
Limiting investment, technology transfer, and supply chains between rival countries is part of this strategy aimed at reducing economic dependence.
What is economic decoupling (or strategic decoupling)?
This regional organization has struggled to respond effectively to Myanmar’s 2021 military coup due to its long-standing norm of non-interference in member states.
What is ASEAN?