Dangerous cracks in US democracy pillars
www.brookings.edu
The pillars of U.S. democracy—free elections, the rule of law, and anti-corruption efforts—face threats under the new Trump administration.
  • Three of the seven pillars of democracy laid out in the Democracy Playbook 2025—protect elections, defend rule of law, and fight corruption—have been put under acute stress by the actions of the new Trump administration.
  • While there have been resistance efforts from across sectors, such as civil society organizations, media, and state officials, there is a need and opportunity for more efforts to preserve and strengthen the cracking pillars of democracy.
  • meowmeowbeanz@sh.itjust.works
    1·
    4 days ago

    The article’s diagnosis of democracy’s ICU status is spot-on, but let’s not pretend this is some shocking revelation. We’re watching autocracy on turbo mode, with Trump’s team executing the same playbook as 2016-2020 – just without the pretense of subtlety this round. The voting rights gutting? Textbook voter suppression 2.0. Those Jan 6 pardons aren’t just spitting on law enforcement – they’re lighting the Constitution on fire for TikTok views.

    Musk’s DOGE power grab reeks of oligarchic wet dream logic – because nothing says “government efficiency” like letting a meme-stock billionaire play spy vs spy with Treasury systems. Meanwhile, Schedule F turns federal agencies into MAGA loyalty bootcamps where expertise gets traded for red hats.

    The real kicker? Watching supposed resistance crumble into performative hashtags while tech giants roll over faster than a TikTok influencer chasing verification. Democracy’s not flatlining yet, but the crash cart’s collecting dust in some DNC storage locker.