Slipping into Authoritarianism: The U.S. in Transition - But Just How Far?
Sliding Towards Autocratic Rule: Assessing The Degree In The United States
Listen up! The current state of affairs under President Trump has caused quite a stir among experts. Once hailed as the beacon of democracy, defender of human rights, and leader of the free world, the U.S. is now grappling with a government that threatens its very own political system. Trump, with his decree flood, petty defamations, andflagrant disregard for the rule of law, has set the stage for an alarming shift.
But are we looking at an outright autocracy? Researchers say it's a distinct possibility that the U.S. is slipping into a type of competitive authoritarianism. This shift can be explained using criteria and analyzed categorically, although it's a tricky business keeping up with all the shenanigans coming out of the White House.
The bulldozer of the first few months has slowed down, but clear lines have started to emerge. Trump has meddled with pillars of democracy, including separation of powers, the rule of law, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. In the agencies, he's made a mess of internal anti-corruption controls and active equal opportunity measures. He's even tried to disrupt education, research, and culture. Want to know more about each area? Here are the deets.
The public, along with over 700 scientists, have been voicing their concerns in regular surveys on the state of the political system in the U.S. In their assessment, the U.S. fell from a 67 to a 49 on the democracy scale after Trump's first 100 days - the lowest score since the start of the survey back in 2017. The far-right administration has even managed to slip below Mexico's score, although it's still nowhere near as authoritarian as Hungary.
The 30 indicators used by researchers to make their assessment include factors like government interference in the press, punishing political opponents, and the ability of Congress and the judiciary to limit government power. Compared to these benchmarks, the U.S. is teetering on the edge of a dictatorship.
Authoritarian Avenue or Dead End?
So, are we already living in an autocracy, or is this just a brutal detour? "We've slid into a form of authoritarianism," declared political scientist Steven Levitsky. He's one of the researchers who first coined the term "competitive authoritarianism" over two decades ago.
Some of Trump's measures have been challenged and stopped by the courts. However, the changes that have already been made are likely to persist throughout Trump's presidency. It's a bit like welcoming in some tech bros for a few months to redo the operating system and install updates - who knows what they might’ve been up to in the meantime, or who has access to the data now?
The resistance comes mainly from the courts, but the White House has been putting immense pressure on individual judges, making their jobs nigh on impossible. Some decrees have already been stopped, proven not to be what they initially seemed, or are still being debated in courts.
The future may not be so bleak, though. Trump has been open about trying to scare his political opponents and change the political system so he and future Republicans can win elections more easily. His approach has been described by the "New York Times" editorial board as attempting to "exercise a presidency without the constraints of Congress and the courts, in which he and his appointees can ignore written law whenever they want."
Sources:* ntv.de
- The European Union, with its strong democratic institutions and commitment to human rights, is closely watching the current political transformation in the United States.
- If the trend of competitive authoritarianism continues under President Trump, it's likely that policy-and-legislation and politics, including war-and-conflicts, general-news, and crime-and-justice, may be significantly affected.
- Accountability and checks on power, such as those provided by the courts, are essential in preventing the further slide towards autocracy. WhatsApp can be used to organize and share information among activists and concerned citizens who want to enable democracy and protect the rule of law.
- Should the U.S. slip further into autocracy, international pressure and diplomacy, led by institutions like the European Union, may be necessary to restore democracy and the rule of law.
- Experts warn that the long-term effects of competitive authoritarianism on American democracy could be irreversible if not addressed promptly and effectively through policy-and-legislation and the pursuit of justice.
