Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s return to power has brought a renewed assault on the United States’ democratic institutions, from the politicization of law enforcement to threats against judicial independence.
A new report from the Center for American Progress shows how the Trump administration’s efforts to consolidate power and weaken oversight echo the strategies used by authoritarian leaders worldwide. It explores case studies from Poland, Hungary, Italy, Germany, and other countries to show how democracies can push back—but only when they act before it is too late.
“Democracies facing authoritarian threats from within have found ways to push back by strengthening institutions, reinforcing democratic norms, and building popular resistance against encroaching autocracy,” said Robert Benson, associate director for National Security and International Policy at CAP and author of the report. “Understanding these strategies is vital to learning how to fight back.”
This report identifies three critical actions that autocratic parties, whether inside or outside government, take to drive democratic backsliding:
- Legislative obstruction: exploiting parliamentary procedures to block key reforms, paralyze basic lawmaking, and capitalize on the resulting dysfunction to strengthen their political position.
- Ideological court capture: ruling parties reshape the judiciary in their image, stripping it of its independence and reducing judges to mere political instruments.
- Manufactured majorities: manipulating electoral laws and processes to inflate their representation, diminishing the power of genuine opposition voices.
The report offers several recommendations by which democracies can guard against authoritarianism:
- Modernize parliamentary procedures to enhance responsiveness and counter obstruction.
- Codify norms to safeguard judicial independence and prevent court capture, including term limits for judges.
- Strengthen electoral oversight and accountability to prevent manipulation, including delegating redistricting processes to nonpartisan commissions.
These recommendations—drawn from the international examples included—aim to protect the independence of institutions, enhance legislative responsiveness, and ensure that no majority can circumvent critical checks and balances.
Read the report: “How Democracies Defend Themselves Against Authoritarianism” by Robert Benson
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].