This Is How Democracies Die
Our democracy, like all successful democracies, relies equally on informal rules as it does on a strong constitution.
A narcissist demagogue with no respect for the rule of law has convinced a polarized and economically anxious electorate that he can solve all of their problems. He has promised to “be their vengeance,” and usher in “a Golden Age.” Of course he has! It’s the oldest trick in the book.
According to Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, in their book How Democracies Die, there are two ways to kill a democracy: You can organize a violent rebellion, arm men with guns, and let bullets do the voting. Or, more subtly, you can win elections, exploit fear and anger, and out-promise your opponent. Once victorious, you systematically disassemble the very institutions through which you came to power.
History is littered with examples of the first strategy. In Spain, Chile, Egypt, Argentina, and Myanmar (Twice), democratically elected governments have been violently overthrown. But it is this second strategy, the subtle, gradual erosion, where leaders exploit fear and anger, that we remember best. Hitler, Putin, Erdoğan, Chávez, Maduro, Orban—and now Trump—have all destroyed democracy from within. And Levitzky and Ziblatt show that they all follow the same authoritarian playbook:
Reject Democratic Norms.
Authoritarians will undermine the legitimacy of elections, questioning their fairness. They will stoke fear and outrage, exacerbating tensions, and refusing to accept defeat.
Donald Trump has long called “foul” when things don’t go his way. From questioning the integrity of the Emmys (The Apprentice has never won an award) to peddling The Big Lie, our President has a history of claiming anything but his total victory as an affront to humanity itself. This is ridiculous when directed at an awards show, it is treasonous when directed at American elections.
Deny the Legitimacy of Political Opponents.
Authoritarians will portray the opposition parties as disloyal, criminal, or enemies of the state. They will accuse rivals of being corrupt, claiming they threaten national security. They will label dissidents as “unpatriotic.”
“Lock her up! Lock her up!” echoed through stadiums in 2016. At the charge of the President-to-be, audiences of rally-goers would cheer on the imagined imprisonment of a legitimate candidate for the leader of the free world. This is dangerous. Trump’s track record of denial and denigration of character should alarm every American. Our democracy, like all successful democracies, relies equally on informal rules as it does on a strong constitution. The understanding that our opponents are political rivals, not national threats, is essential to the preservation of our republic. But Trump rejects this; like the Kings of old, he views opposition to his authority as treasonous, using his position to threaten and intimidate.
Encourage Political Violence.
Authoritarians will encourage mobs or paramilitary groups to attack political opponents. They will refuse to condemn violence from their supporters while simultaneously threatening critics with jail or legal action.
He launched a coup against the United States. Let me repeat that: He launched a coup against the United States! And then he was reelected! And then pardoned 1,500 of those very same traitors!
Donald Trump is dangerous; he is a demagogue, and he perverts the meaning of “law and order” to justify violence against his political opponents. And by all accounts, he is only getting started. Political scientists who analyzed Trump’s speeches from 2015 through 2024 found that his violent rhetoric has increased, “From almost 0.6% in 2016 to 1.6% in 2024…approximating that of authoritarian figures such as Kim Jong Un and Fidel Castro.”
Curtail Civil Liberties of Opponents, Including the Media.
Authoritarians will restrict the freedom of the press by attacking journalists and independent media and using government agencies to intimidate, investigate, or imprison dissenters.
Rigged, fake, and criminal: This is how Donald Trump describes anything that works against him. The former TV star, on his 2016 warpath, popularized the phrase, “Fake News!” to describe negative press. The American system of government works because we possess the freedoms of speech, press, and assembly. If we lose these, we lose everything. And Trump, like a typical tyrant, knows this. He is attacking The Voice of America, NPR, and PBS because he wants to leverage the power of the presidency to silence opposition, suppress dissent, and skew media coverage in his favor.
Donald Trump is currently in charge of the most powerful nation that has ever existed. He shows no regard for the Constitution, and if he gets his way, will march us all down the well-trodden path of authoritarian disaster. This has happened time and again. It has happened across nations and throughout time. It can—and is—happening here too.
This is how democracies die.
What will we be able to do “when the lights go out in the city”?