In authoritarian states, the public has no agency and no real access to justice. Renée DiResta, a scholar who researches online information campaigns, struggled to counter false accusations leveled against her after a series of courts accepted them without investigation. As courts become more political, people could begin to assume justice is impossible.

This is the second episode of Autocracy in America, a new five-part series about authoritarian tactics already at work in the United States and where to look for them.

Autocracy in America is produced by The Atlantic and made possible with support from the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, an academic and public forum dedicated to strengthening global democracy through powerful civic engagement and informed, inclusive dialogue.

Music by Howard Harper-Barnes (“Mysterious Forest”), J. F. Gloss (“Mysterious Figures”), Luella Gren (“Sleep Forever”), Farrell Wooten (“Magnified XY”), Ludvig Moulin (“Bats and Rats”), and Rob Smierciak (“Mystery March”).

Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices