Democratic Backsliding: How Democracies Erode (with Dr. Sam Call)

We may begin talking about sweater weather and niceties about upstate New York, but we quickly let the angst flow deep and wide. Join us as Sam Call (comparative politics) joins Michael Bailey (political science and philosophy) and host Dale McConkey (sociology) for a fascinating exploration of how democracies erode, or "backslide." Dr. Call explains why today’s threats rarely look like coups; instead, elected leaders chip away at checks and balances, politicize the bureaucracy, blur truth, and normalize “us vs. them.” We contrast the U.S. with Hungary and Turkey, talk courts that are ignored, legislatures that go silent, redistricting as a national power strategy, and why pardoning political violence sends a chilling signal. Then we rank the top 3 warning signs right now, ask where the red lines really are, and close with practical steps: stay informed, have hard conversations, and rebuild community ties. It’s an honest, engaging, and surprisingly hopeful hour—gloom but not doom.

The views expressed on American Angst are solely those of the participants and do not represent any organization.