"There's a pretty good chance you may have been watching the news at some point this year and found yourself wondering, 'What the fuck is happening in the world and why?' "

That's how John Oliver started his "Last Week Tonight" monologue on authoritarianism this week. With his characteristic humor-filled, informative style, the comedian went on to analyze three traits that authoritarians in power across the globe share in order to come to grips with why they're so appealing to voters. Oliver also tried to determine whether the U.S. is headed in the same harrowing direction as are a third of the countries on earth.

Watch the full clip in the video player above.

— Posted by Natasha Hakimi Zapata