N.Y. Times Editorial Board, Are We Losing Our Democracy?
The Times identifies twelve “markers of democratic erosion,” briefly discusses each one, and gives a “bottom line” view of where we are on the downward curve. This post cites each “marker” and reproduces the Times Editorial Board’s “bottom line”:
1. An authoritarian stifles dissent and speech. Bottom Line: Many forms of speech and dissent remain vibrant in the United States. But the president has tried to dull them. His evident goal is to cause Americans to fear they will pay a price for criticizing him, his allies or his agenda.
2. An authoritarian persecutes political opponents. Bottom line: True authoritarians go much further than Mr. Trump has, but he has already targeted his opponents with legal persecution in shocking ways.
3. An authoritarian bypasses the legislature. Bottom line: Mr. Trump has defied the Constitution by trampling on Congress’s power of the purse. In full autocracies, legislatures often formally transfer some of their authority to the executive, and some congressional Republicans have proposed such changes.
4. An authoritarian uses the military for domestic control. Bottom line: Mr. Trump’s use of the military for domestic control has been limited. But his willingness to use it as he has — and his threats to expand that use, through the invocation of the Insurrection Act and with troops beyond the National Guard — is extremely worrisome.
5. An authoritarian defies the courts. Bottom line: It is a hopeful sign that he has not ignored the Supreme Court, and the court may yet block his most blatant power grabs. Still, the court’s reluctance to restrain himappears to have emboldened him to sidestep lower court orders he does not like.
6. An authoritarian declares national emergencies on false pretenses. Bottom line: Mr. Trump’s willingness to kill people without due process, through the blowing up of boats that American officials could instead stop and search, represents one of his most extreme abuses of power. It raises the prospect that he may expand the use of emergency power to other areas, including domestic law enforcement.
7. An authoritarian vilifies marginalized groups. Bottom line: Mr. Trump is borrowing from the autocrats’ playbook by suggesting that some citizens are legitimate and others are second-class.
8. An authoritarian controls information and the news media. Bottom line: In place of an independent and free press, Mr. Trump evidently hopes to create a shadow ecosystem willing to promote his interests and talking points.
9. An authoritarian tries to take over universities. Bottom line: Because the federal government finances so much academic research, it has considerable power over universities. Initially, some universities seemed as if they might simply submit to Mr. Trump’s demands. More recently, several showed more willingness to resist, rejecting a proposal that would have rewarded them financially for adopting Trump-friendly policies.
10. An authoritarian creates a cult of personality. Bottom line: The Trump cult of personality plays into his claims — common among autocrats — that he possesses a unique ability to solve the country’s problems. As he put it, “I alone can fix it.” He seeks to equate himself with the federal government, as if it does not exist without him.
11. An authoritarian uses power for personal profit. Bottom line: The Trump cult of personality plays into his claims — common among autocrats — that he possesses a unique ability to solve the country’s problems. As he put it, “I alone can fix it.” He seeks to equate himself with the federal government, as if it does not exist without him.
12. An authoritarian manipulates the law to stay in power. Bottom line: Even if he backs away from any scheme to serve more than two presidential terms, Mr. Trump’s attempts to tilt the electoral field in favor of Republicans is anti-democratic and could pervert American elections for years.
Facing MAGA 