In lecturing about the state of liberal democracy over the past couple of years, I have been frequently asked whether the authoritarian tide taking place around the world can be stopped, and whether American democracy is strong enough to hold up under the weight of Trumpian authoritarianism.
My answer has been yes, that democratic backsliding is not inevitable, and that American institutions in particular are holding up reasonably well. My degree of measured optimism may well prove wrong, but it is based on several recent events.
A democracy becomes a liberal democracy when popular choice is linked to institutions that prevent the concentration of power in the executive, through a rule of law and a system of institutional checks and balances. In the United States, several of these checks have been weakened under Trump: Congress, which is supposed to jealously guard its privileges, has largely rubber-stamped Trump’s agenda, and parts of the executive branch like the Justice Department have become instruments of the president’s will. Many civil society organizations like corporations, law firms, and universities have sought accommodation with the administration.
There are, however, two critical checking institutions that have remained effective.
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