Afraid to Speak, Afraid for Democracy: New Poll Finds Widespread Concern About Authoritarianism
The Steady State Sentinel by The Steady State
Episode notes
A top pollster and an award-winning journalist break down who is self‑censoring, why Gen Z sees democracy differently, and whether the U.S. can reverse its authoritarian slide.
Host Lauren C. Anderson, former senior FBI executive, sits down with pollster Stefan Hankin of Lincoln Park Strategies and journalist Joel Anderson of The Ringer and Slate) to unpack a national poll released in March 2026. Key findings: 54% of Americans say they hesitate to express political views at work or online, or in their communities because they worry about the consequences, and 76% express some level of concern that the U.S. is moving toward a more authoritarian form of government.
The conversation explores political self-censorship, pressure on First Amendment norms, erosion of the rule of law, and the silencing of critics and journa ...