Autocracies begin at the ballot box. Donald Trump is the legitimately elected president of the United States who, in his first weeks in office, has used illegitimate and illegal actions to solidify his power. He has brazenly declared, “He who saves his country does not violate any Law.”
But while he is the first U.S. president to display such public contempt for the structures, institutions, and civil servants he has been elected to lead, his tactics aren’t unique. They’re right in line with other elected autocratic leaders, including Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Hungary, President Erdogan in Turkey, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India.
Today, for the first time in many decades, there are more autocracies in the world than democracies. However, the success of authoritarian leaders isn’t inevitable — in the U.S. or elsewhere. Autocrats have a playbook of predictable steps, but there are also proven ways to intervene.
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