Protect science, save democracy—researchers release anti-autocracy handbook

Democracy is in danger. Two out of three people worldwide currently live in an autocracy; 20 years ago, it was only one in two. Even in traditionally stable democracies such as the US, institutions are being weakened, norms violated, and freedoms massively eroded.

Now science is also coming under pressure. That is why researchers from a wide range of disciplines, led by Potsdam cognitive scientist Prof. Dr. Stephan Lewandowsky, have published a handbook in response to the global resurgence of autocracy.

"Our Anti-Autocracy Handbook is a call to action, to collectively defend democracy, truth, and academic freedom in the face of rising authoritarianism," says editor Lewandowsky. "Free research and scientific diversity of opinion—academic principles that stand in opposition to authoritarian control—often make science one of the first targets of autocrats."

In the handbook, Lewandowsky's team reveals how autocracies follow a common script based on the so-called "three Ps": populism, polarization, and post-truth. Autocratic leaders present themselves as voices "of the people" against "corrupt elites," deepening social divisions and undermining facts to evade responsibility.

This leads to a number of dangers for science: censorship, restrictions on funding and research cooperation, and even violence. The Trump administration is a current example of this, as its policies restrict international scientific cooperation, cut research funding, and suppress studies on topics such as public health, climate change, and socially disadvantaged groups.

To help researchers defend themselves against authoritarian developments, the handbook uses examples from history and the present day to show how scientists, their institutional environment, and their research can be restricted. Building on this, it helps researchers assess their own risk and take appropriate targeted measures.

"To this end, we propose a whole range of tools to improve digital security and emphasize the importance of continuous documentation, securing vulnerable data, and setting up distributed archives as protection against deletion," explains co-author Dr. Christoph Abels from the University of Potsdam. In addition, scientists are encouraged to share personal stories—publicly or anonymously—to raise awareness, affirm shared values, and document repression.

"To accompany the handbook, we have set up a wiki that continuously records new developments and reports on global efforts by researchers to resist authoritarianism and protect the democratic foundations that enable free science," says Lewandowsky.

More information:
Stephan Lewandowsky et al, The Anti-Autocracy Handbook: A Scholars' Guide to Navigating Democratic Backsliding, Zenodo (2025). DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15510834

Provided by University of Potsdam