How Democracies Die: Analysis Part 3

Within the eighth chapter of How Democracies Die, Trump Against the Guardrails, Levitsky and Ziblatt highlight how President Trump’s first term in office was highlighted by a script common to other authoritarianist demagogues. By discussing how Trump attempted all three strategies necessary for exhibiting authoritarianism– capturing refugees, sidelining key players, and rewriting the rules — the two authors explain how his term cemented those principles into American politics indefinitely. The chapter also highlights how Trump’s use of the bully pulpit persuaded  his supporters to change their perspectives on pressing social issues and how his overall distrust in the media stems from them commenting on his “norm-breaking behavior" ( pg 176 ). 

The authors initially discuss how Trump’s striking hostility towards law enforcement, agencies and the courts was drawn from an obvious "authoritarian playbook” ( pg. 179 ), leading to voter speculation of the validity of Supreme and Appellate court rulings. They also discuss how the Trump administration “ used the machinery of government to punish critics” ( pg.182 ) as a way to sideline key domestic players. Giving an example from 2016, the two analyze how Trump threatened  Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon and the Washington Post,  with Anti-Trust Action in order to silence him and his associated media ventures. Furthermore, Trump goes on to rewrite the rules of the political system when Levitsky reveals how he once called for changes in the Senate’s filibuster in order to strengthen the Republican Party at the expense of the then democratic minority. 

After uncovering how President Trump has managed to inflict such disorganization, Livitsky and Ziblatt state how due to the president’s lack of regard for the “rules of the game” a sudden loss of faith has usurped his executive image and increased the chances for another president with similar traits to follow within his controversial footsteps. 

Cited Works:

Levitsky, Steven, and Daniel Ziblatt. How Democracies Die. Crown, 2018.