At a Thursday lecture, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, journalist and commentator Anne Applebaum spoke about the decline of U.S. democracy via the rise of nationalism and authoritarianism.

Applebaum delivered the 31st annual Richard W. Leopold Lecture hosted by the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.

Described as a “leading historian of politics” and “keen observer of contemporary events” by Weinberg Dean Adrian Randolph, Applebaum published her book “Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism” in July, in which she discusses how democracies are turning toward nationalism and authoritarianism.

“With unthinkable attacks on what many of us assume to be unassailable tenants of democracy, freedom and civil society both at home and abroad, I wonder if at some point Prof. Applebaum considered calling her book ‘The Twilight Zone of Democracy,’” Randolph said.

Applebaum started her talk by giving historical background on how the Founding Fathers “always had their doubts about human nature” and that they knew men could sometimes “succumb to passions.” As a result, Applebaum said, the Fathers knew any political system built on logic and rationality was always at risk for an “outburst of the irrational.”

Applebaum added that because of this fear, the Fathers read about failed democracies of the past, making them cautious and resulting in the creation of various mechanisms to prevent tyranny — including the Electoral College and checks and balances.

She ended her talk by asserting that Americans have taken democracy for granted and should engage with the political system the way citizens of countries with other kinds of democracies have always done.

“Let’s use this opportunity to reform and restore and breathe life into the institution that (the Founding Fathers) created between now and Nov. 3,” Applebaum said. “And let’s keep doing so afterwards, no matter what happens after the election.”

The talk was followed by a Q&A moderated by Medill Prof. Peter Slevin. Given Applebaum’s research around what happens to people in political systems that go along with ideology they know to be wrong, he asked how this could apply to Republicans backing President Trump today.

“If the idea is that Republicans in particular in Congress and on the airwaves see Trump largely as a vassal or vehicle, what do you imagine becomes of them once Trump has left the scene?” Slevin asked.

In response, Applebaum said this largely depends on how he leaves the scene. If there is a “Biden landslide” and if the House of Representatives and Senate achieve Democratic majorities, she said, at least a part of the Republican Party may begin to perceive the Trump era as a mistake that needs to be rectified. This may result in an argument inside the party casting out these “collaborators” and the people who made this mistake, she said.

However, if it’s a close race, Applebaum said Trumpism will likely live on inside the Republican Party and become a permanent fixture of the American landscape. Instead, she said, there will be an attempt to “do it better next time.”

“Alternatively, if he tries to cheat and steal the election and fails in that as well — in other words, if he doesn’t succeed, then there may be a reckoning in the party as a chance of renewing itself,” Applebaum said.

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