Staffan I Lindberg /V-Dem Institute
@silindberg.bsky.social
1.2K followers 290 following 100 posts

Professor & Director V-Dem Institute, Political Scientist @Univ of Gothenburg.

Staffan I. Lindberg is a Swedish political scientist and director of the V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg. Lindberg's main research interests are comparative politics, democracy and democratization, Africa, political organizations, corruption and clientelism. .. more

Political science 48%
Sociology 22%
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
silindberg.bsky.social
Yes…. ”The Trump administration is descending into authoritarianism”

silindberg.bsky.social
Elektoral autokrati är vår benämning.

silindberg.bsky.social
Trump’s war on the left: Inside the plan to investigate liberal groups - www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
www.reuters.com
thetnholler.bsky.social
Nothing says “America First” like letting another country put an Air Force base in Idaho

Reposted by David Darmofal

silindberg.bsky.social
Eliminating constraints and upsurping more of Congress power of the purse in one go. This is separate from the general shutdown. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/30/u...
Trump Administration Defunds Federal Watchdog Office
www.nytimes.com

silindberg.bsky.social
Gift article. You can read it for free without a subscription. Autocrat--ruler Trump instruct military to follow orders in attack on Democrat cities in a "war on the enemies from within". Ugh.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/30/u...
Trump and Hegseth Recount Familiar Partisan Complaints to Top Military Leaders
www.nytimes.com

silindberg.bsky.social
Yes….
craigipedia.bsky.social
This precisely. 100%. 10/10. No notes.

bsky.app/profile/atru...
atrupar.com
Trump wraps up a speech to military leaders that represented a major escalation of his effort to weaponize the armed forces into a tool he can use to violently quash domestic dissent. Hard to imagine how anyone with a shred of dignity can keep serving after this, which of course is the point.

rachaelkoev.bsky.social
I remember in the spring you said, "At the pace at which it is happening, I would say that before the end of the summer, you no longer qualify as a democracy in the United States.” March feels like years ago. 😔
craigipedia.bsky.social
This precisely. 100%. 10/10. No notes.

bsky.app/profile/atru...
atrupar.com
Trump wraps up a speech to military leaders that represented a major escalation of his effort to weaponize the armed forces into a tool he can use to violently quash domestic dissent. Hard to imagine how anyone with a shred of dignity can keep serving after this, which of course is the point.

silindberg.bsky.social
Indeed too much like 1934 Nazi Germany for comfort. I don’t say this lightly.

Https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3m22phd2sat2i
atrupar.com
Trump: "The ones that are run by radical left Democrats -- what they've done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles. They're very unsafe places & we're gonna straighten them out one by one. This is gonna be a major part for some people in this room. That's a war too. It's war from within"

silindberg.bsky.social
Indeed too much like 1934 Nazi Germany for comfort. I don’t say this lightly.
atrupar.com
Trump: "The ones that are run by radical left Democrats -- what they've done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles. They're very unsafe places & we're gonna straighten them out one by one. This is gonna be a major part for some people in this room. That's a war too. It's war from within"

silindberg.bsky.social
Trump announcing a war on enemies from within is coming to generals at meeting in VA. It is 1934 for real. 😪
atrupar.com
Trump to generals: "America is under invasion from within. We're under invasion from within. No different than a foreign enemy, but more difficult in any ways because they don't wear uniforms. At least when they're wearing a uniform you can take them out."
brendannyhan.bsky.social
An unprecedented violation of our civic and Constitutional traditions. Calling every military leader in the world back to the U.S. to hear a wildly inappropriate partisan campaign speech followed by a fascist call to use the military against Americans.
atrupar.com
Trump: "The ones that are run by radical left Democrats -- what they've done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles. They're very unsafe places & we're gonna straighten them out one by one. This is gonna be a major part for some people in this room. That's a war too. It's war from within"
atrupar.com
Trump to generals: "America is under invasion from within. We're under invasion from within. No different than a foreign enemy, but more difficult in any ways because they don't wear uniforms. At least when they're wearing a uniform you can take them out."

silindberg.bsky.social
Nobel laureate & good friend @mariaressa.bsky.social on @thedailyshow.com The Daily Show, speaking with facts from #DemocracyReport2025.

www.instagram.com/reel/DOywwsE...

silindberg.bsky.social
Autocracy in the US. “declaring antifa a “domestic terrorist organization” — a designation that does not actually exist under U.S. law.”
Trump Signs Order Targeting Antifa Movement www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/u...
Trump Signs Order Targeting Antifa Movement
www.nytimes.com
leftrightusa.bsky.social
This is encouraging:

“A key finding is that 52% of all autocratization episodes become U-Turns, which increases to 73% when focusing on the last 30 years. The vast majority of U-Turns (90%) lead to restored or even improved levels of democracy."

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
When autocratization is reversed: episodes of U-Turns since 1900
The world is in a “wave of autocratization.” Yet, recent events in Brazil, the Maldives, and Zambia demonstrate that autocratization can be halted and reversed. This article introduces “U-Turn” as ...
www.tandfonline.com

silindberg.bsky.social
Scotus enabling strengtening of autocracy in the US of A.
Supreme Court Allows Trump to Fire F.T.C. Commissioner www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/u...
Supreme Court Allows Trump to Fire F.T.C. Commissioner
www.nytimes.com
sajuria.com
𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸! #3

1. The Forum: Global Challenges to Democracy? Perspectives on Democratic Backsliding (2023) by Larry Bartels, Ursula Daxecker, @sdhyde.bsky.social, @silindberg.bsky.social and Irfan Nooroding. (academic.oup.com/isr/article/...)
The Forum: Global Challenges to Democracy? Perspectives on Democratic Backsliding
Abstract. There is a widespread perception that we are witnessing a period of democratic decline, manifesting itself in varieties of democratic backsliding
academic.oup.com
olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
reposting the text image referenced above, this time with Alt text
"The world is in a “wave of autocratization.” Yet, recent events in Brazil, the Maldives, and Zambia demonstrate that autocratization can be halted and reversed. This article introduces “U-Turn” as a new type of regime transformation episode in which autocratization is closely followed by and linked to subsequent democratization. Drawing on earlier literature, it provides a general conceptualization and operationalization of this type of episode, complementing the existing Episodes of Regime Transformation (ERT) framework. The accompanying database provides descriptions for all 102 U-Turn episodes from 1900 to 2023, differentiating between three types: authoritarian manipulation, democratic reaction, and international intervention. The analysis presents a systematic empirical overview of patterns and developments of U-Turns. A key finding is that 52% of all autocratization episodes become U-Turns, which increases to 73% when focusing on the last 30 years. The vast majority of U-Turns (90%) lead to restored or even improved levels of democracy."