There’s a recipe for autocracy: six steps tried and tested by some of the world’s most notorious leaders. How many has Donald Trump ticked off?
- Associate Professor of Political Science, Michigan State University
When a would-be autocrat dominates a party like Trump has with the Republicans, it gives him a legitimate vehicle to ram through a democracy.
Trump’s use of the Justice Department to target political opponents goes beyond revenge − it deters current officials from defying the president.
Whether by shuffling agency personnel, creating new agencies, or limiting their capacity for oversight, a common tactic among power-hungry leaders is establishing control over the country’s bureaucracy.
What’s happening now in Washington, DC, is different from most presidential transitions − in volume, pace, content and breadth of the changes ordered.
A second Trump presidency may be a danger to democracy, but that’s more to do with the Republican Party than Trump himself, researchers of authoritarianism explain.
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