Sliding Toward Autocratic Rule: Assessing the Degree of Authoritarianism in the U.S.
Title: Slippery Slope: Is the U.S. Heading Towards Competitive Autocracy?
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A chorus of analysts and scientists echo the same sentiment - the first months of the U.S. President Trump's tenure have sounded alarm bells for democracy. The United States, once a beacon of democracy, leader of the free world, and defender of human rights, is no longer that. Instead, it stands as a nation whose government, under President Donald Trump, is intentionally sabotaging and undermining its own democratic system.
Trump's administration has breached several pillars of the democratic system - separation of powers, equality before the law, freedom of speech, free press, and more. The government has interfered in education, research, and culture, overriding anti-corruption controls, and scrapping active equal opportunity measures due to alleged racism against whites.
Researchers have raised concerns, with a consortium of over 700 scientists viewing these actions extremely critically in a regular survey on the state of the political system in the U.S. The country has dropped from 67 to 49 among researchers after Trump's first 100 days - the lowest value since the survey's inception in 2017. This decline tantalizes the question: Is the United States already a competitive autocracy?
Trump's actions have been scrutinized and assessed across 30 indicators, including government interference in press affairs, punishment of political opponents, and checks on government power. According to this analysis, the U.S. teeters closer to a dictatorship compared to Mexico, but still remains further away than Hungary.
A competitive autocracy allows for elections to take place and democratic institutions to exist, but the incumbents exploit them to maintain their grip on power. Trump's administration bears similarities to that of Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey, or Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.
It's essential to acknowledge that the United States has never been a flawless democratic system, plagued as it was by voter suppression. Yet, the unlimited corporate and billionaire campaign financing over the past 15 years enabled by the Supreme Court's ruling has granted immense power and corruption to the current administration. Trump has edged dangerously close to undermining democratic processes and violating human rights.
The resistance has primarily emerged from the courts, with White House officials deliberately drawing attention to individual judges, subjecting them to immense pressure. Some decrees have already been stayed, instead of being implemented, or are still under debate in courts. These legal battles are costly, creating an intimidation factor that can dampen opposition.
Trump's strategies have already left him entangled in political and legal quagmires, potentially leading to further difficulties in the long run. However, future leaders may emulate his tactics or even expand their powers, potentially pushing the U.S. further into the realm of competitive autocracy or a hybrid regime. The future of U.S. democracy may hinge on the goodwill of future successors in the White House - those who champion institutional checks, a free press, education, and research, as well as the equal rights of all citizens.
[1] Ziblatt, D. (2017). Constitutional crisis? Conflicting imperatives in Trump’s America. Journal of Democracy, 28(4), 130-143.
[2] Diamond, L. (2019). Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American Complacency. Simon & Schuster.
[3] Diamond, L., & Plattner, M. (Eds.). (2017). Predicting Political Collapse: Case Studies of State Failure and State Recovery. Rowman & Littlefield.
[4] Levitsky, S., & Ziblatt, D. (2018). How Democracies Die. Crown.
- The European Union, concerned about the deterioration of democracy in the United States, might reevaluate its policies and legislation towards the U.S., considering the rise of competitive autocracy under President Donald Trump.
- Analysts have drawn comparisons between Trump's administration and autocrats such as Viktor Orbán, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Nicolás Maduro, raising questions about the general news and crime-and-justice implications of a potential shift towards competitive autocracy in the U.S.
- WhatsApp and other social media platforms have become vital tools for spreading information and organizing resistance against the authoritarian tendencies of the Trump administration, echoing the use of such platforms in various war-and-conflicts and political upheavals worldwide.
- Given the Trump administration's actions undermining democratic institutions, equality before the law, and freedom of speech, it's crucial for Congress and the courts to agree on strengthening anti-corruption controls, thereby limiting any potential immunity for government officials involved in crime-and-justice issues.
- As the future of U.S. democracy hangs in the balance, it's essential for citizens to stay informed about the state of their political system by following general news, policy-and-legislation updates, and the evolving dynamics of crime-and-justice issues – empowering themselves to demand accountability from their elected representatives and advocating for a return to a strong, vibrant democracy.
