"Autocracy: a system of government by one person with absolute power."
(From Google’s English dictionary by Oxford Languages.)
The Systemic Weakening of Our Democracy?
Is our democracy weakening? Given the many unilateral decrees by team Trump and his supporters many feel that he has moved much too fast to reduce or eliminate government agencies and the services they provide, trash relationships with our allies and cozy up to dictators who have traditionally been our enemies. He appears to be operating without the usual constraints that check presidential power. In short, he's behaving like an autocrat. So the central question emerges: Could Trump actually reduce our democracy to an autocracy?
To explore this question, I decided to use the AI assistant Perplexity to help me discover how democracies typically devolve into autocracies.
As context, consider this warning from one analysis: "Ominously, we find that once autocratization begins, only one in five democracies manage to avert breakdown." [1]
So how will we know if we are actually moving towards autocracy and fascism? After all, autocratic rule doesn't appear overnight. And we can only prevent it from taking over if we are aware of how it gradually, insidiously, evolves and then disempower it before it becomes unstoppable.
Enlisting the Help of Perplexity AI
I asked Perplexity AI to explore this problem. Perplexity AI is a conversational search engine that uses large language models to provide answers to user queries, offering features like real-time web search, transparent source citation, and the ability to toggle between different AI models for varied responses. Specifically, I gave Perplexity two assignments:
1. List the specific stages through which a democracy moves towards an autocracy and fascism then explain each stage.
(Note that Perplexity summarized the key differences between autocracy and fascism as follows: Autocracy focuses on centralized power, while fascism involves ideological radicalization, mass mobilization, and systemic coercion[4][6].)
2. For each step listed describe how the current executive branch is implementing this step.
Below are the seven specific stages that Perplexity provided.
As you examine each of these stages, you might keep in mind news about Trump's latest decrees and ask yourself: Autocracy? Are we there yet?
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[Begin Perplexity AI response below: I simply cut and pasted it directly from Perplexity's answer.]
Stages of Democratic Decline to Autocracy and Fascism
1. Normalization of Anti-Democratic Rhetoric
Leaders exploit post-truth narratives and cultural conservatism to erode trust in institutions, often framing opponents as threats to national identity[2][3].
...............
The current administration has amplified divisive rhetoric, portraying political opponents as threats to national security and identity. This polarizing language undermines trust in democratic institutions and fosters a "us vs. them" mentality[a][e].
2. Dismantling Checks and Balances
Judicial and legislative constraints on executive power are weakened, enabling centralized control. Media and civil society face censorship or repression[2][3][5].
.....
The administration has expanded presidential immunity, limiting the judiciary's ability to hold the president accountable for potentially illegal acts. This weakens legislative and judicial oversight, consolidating executive power[e][h]. Congressional reluctance to act as a check further accelerates this erosion[f].
3. Exploiting Crises
Emergencies (e.g., pandemics, economic instability) are used to justify authoritarian measures, such as restricting civil liberties or suspending democratic norms[3][5].
......
Emergencies like economic instability have been used to justify executive overreach, sidelining Congress and centralizing decision-making in the presidency[f][g].
4. Populist Mobilization
Mass movements coalesce around a charismatic leader promising to restore order, often through nationalist or anti-establishment rhetoric[3][4].
......
The executive has cultivated mass support by framing itself as a defender of "ordinary Americans" against elites, leveraging populist narratives to consolidate political loyalty[a][g].
5. Constitutional Manipulation
Leaders amend or rewrite constitutions to consolidate power, bypassing democratic safeguards and enabling autocratic rule[3][7].
......
Proposals like "Project 2025" outline plans to restructure the federal government, concentrating power in the executive branch and bypassing traditional checks and balances[g].
6. Authoritarian Consolidation
Elections become controlled, dissent is criminalized, and opposition is suppressed, establishing autocratic governance[3][7].
......
Efforts to weaken independent oversight bodies and suppress dissent through legal mechanisms reflect a move toward authoritarian governance[a][e].
7. Fascist Transformation
Totalitarian control intensifies with hypermodern propaganda, mass mobilization, and violent suppression of dissent. Ideological indoctrination and radical societal transformation are enforced[4][6].
.......
While not fully realized, there are signs of ideological enforcement through propaganda and suppression of opposition narratives, setting the stage for more radical control[g].
[End of cut and pasted response from Perplexity AI]
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Conclusion
To reiterate: "Ominously, we find that once autocratization begins, only one in five democracies manage to avert breakdown." [1]
So what do you think? Given the analysis above, are we on our way to an autocratic takeover by a man who once said, "I alone can fix it?"
Action Item: All those who would save our democracy must take steps to band together to amplify their individual voices and then locate and apply maximum pressure on all the available political levers of power. So do your own search for "Trump Resistance" to locate like-minded organizations and figure out how you can get involved. Nothing less than our democratic freedom is at stake.
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References
Citation List 1 (1-8):
[1] How democracies prevail: democratic resilience as a two-stage
[2] How to Lose a Country: The 7 Steps from Democracy to Dictatorship
[3] Democratic backsliding - Wikipedia
[4] Kurt Weyland Distinguishes Between Fascism and Authoritarianism
[5] When democracies autocratise
[6] The Five Stages of Fascism -
[7] Measurement Levels & Regime Typology - Democracy Matrix
[8] Fourteen Steps to Fascism - The Tyee
Citation List 2 (a-h):
[a] Donald Trump and the Collapse of Checks and Balances /
[b] The Erosion of Our Checks and Balances - Senator Chuck Grassley
[c] [PDF] Separations of Wealth: Inequality and the Erosion of Checks and ...
[d] Inequality and the Erosion of Checks and Balanc" by Kate Andrias
[e] Presidential Immunity’s Weakening Impact on U.S. Checks and Balances
[f] The Unconstrained Presidency: Checks and Balances Eroded Long ...
[g] Project 2025 Would Destroy the U.S. System of Checks and Balances
[h] Eroding Checks and Balances: The Immunity Decision
