Twilight of Democracy: A Conversation with Author and Professor Anne Applebaum

Description

This conversation, moderated by Dean Eliot A. Cohen, will explore Anne Applebaum's new book, Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism. In Twilight of Democracy, Applebaum, a senior fellow at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University and Pulitzer-winning historian of Soviet atrocities who was one of the first American journalists to raise an alarm about antidemocratic trends in the West, explains the lure of nationalism and autocracy. In this captivating essay, she contends that political systems with radically simple beliefs are inherently appealing, especially when they benefit the loyal to the exclusion of everyone else. The event's theme is Targets of Opportunity.

The Dean's Speaker Series is the highest profile speaker series at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). The series will host a diverse array of prominent international affairs practitioners and business leaders for insightful perspectives and thought-provoking discussions on international relations, leadership and other relevant topics that impact our focus areas. This fall will feature distinguished experts around themes such as American foreign policy and the 2020 election, international order after coronavirus, targets of opportunity in the global arena, and race relations, civic engagement and global social movements. All events require pre-registration and are free and open to the public. Due to COVID-19, all fall events will be held virtually in webinar-format.