40 pages • 1 hour read
Timothy SnyderOn Tyranny
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2017A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Name three of the things a tyrant must dismantle in a republic in order to rule it.
Americans are lately encouraged to “report suspicious behavior” to the authorities. Some believe such vigilance is vital to our safety in an age of terrorism, while others think this merely pits neighbor against neighbor and increases a trend toward authoritarianism. Which do you believe is correct, and why?
What are the politics of inevitability, and how do they affect democracies?
What are the politics of eternity, and how do they help dictators?
What is the main action Putin has taken to help him consolidate power in Russia, and how did that action enhance his control?
List three ways you can help nurture a civil society.
To govern, a central authority must have a monopoly on what? And how can a would-be tyrant erode that monopoly?
Describe two things Hitler did, as mentioned in ON TYRANNY, that helped him become dictator of Germany.
“Tyrants seek the hook on which to hang you” (87). What does this mean, and how can you avoid it?
The government announces that anyone caught talking to terrorists will be prosecuted, and citizens are encouraged to report such conversations. Failure to file a report is itself an offense and will also be prosecuted. You discover your father chatting with someone you believe to be a terrorist. Should you report him to the authorities? Why or why not?
Related Titles
By Timothy Snyder
