President Donald Trump has shaken US politics and global affairs to the core. His brand of democracy appears to emulate political style of such seasoned autocrats as Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Hungary’s Victor Orban. It also shares striking commonalities with Europe’s far-right populist political parties – National Rally in France, AfD in Germany, Party for Freedom in the Netherlands and others. What used to be seen as undemocratic posturing of individual governments and political groups has extended into a global phenomenon with the advent of Trump. This course examines the rise of populist and autocratic-style leadership within the broader context of comparative authoritarianism, media manipulation, post-truth, political polarization, and shrinking of institutional relevance. We will analyze key events, policies and strategies that form the transactional and personalized nature of many current regimes. The long-term impact of populist authoritarianism around the globe is a question that should concern us all.