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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Liberation Technology In The Age Of Digital Authoritarianism: Examining The Potential For Digital Technology To Promote Democratic Practice, Skyler Sallick Jan 2021

Liberation Technology In The Age Of Digital Authoritarianism: Examining The Potential For Digital Technology To Promote Democratic Practice, Skyler Sallick

CMC Senior Theses

In an effort to reclaim agency in the global battle between digital democracy and digital authoritarianism, this thesis asks: What, if anything, can be done? Through a review of the current literature, it found that a singular technology can at once be liberatory while simultaneously serving to counter its own liberating potential. As a result, repressive regimes have been able to successfully push back against mass mobilization and quell efforts to bring greater transparency and accountability to systems of governance. The case of Egypt is used to explore mass mobilization and the right to freedom of expression before, during, and …


Donald Trump’S Authoritarianism: The Decline Of Democracy Under Trump, Gabe Fisher Jan 2021

Donald Trump’S Authoritarianism: The Decline Of Democracy Under Trump, Gabe Fisher

CMC Senior Theses

Donald Trump was the most anti-democratic president in American history. During his 2016 campaign, he encouraged violence at his rallies. He also levied harsh attacks against his opponents and even called one a “devil.” When he assumed office as president, he demanded complete loyalty and levied attacks against the press that conjured up memories of notorious autocrats. And when he lost a free and fair election in 2020, he discontinued a 200-year-old tradition and a hallmark of American democracy: the peaceful transfer of power. He also incited an insurrection when he unsuccessfully overturned the election’s results. The GOP has continued …