Is America heading toward competitive authoritarianism?
Some experts argue that the country's current democratic system is fading


Nearly eight weeks into President Donald Trump's return to the White House, he has enacted sweeping changes that have drastically changed the makeup of our federal government. While many Democrats are describing Trump's actions as those of a straight authoritarian or dictator, other experts believe the U.S. could be on the brink of a different type of government: competitive authoritarianism.
Also called a hybrid regime, this form of governance is defined by Vox as a government that "still holds elections, but under profoundly unfair conditions that systematically favor one side," with elections "stacked in the incumbent party's favor so heavily that the people don't have real agency over who rules them." Some in the U.S. fear this is where Trump's administration is heading with its consolidation of government.
What did the commentators say?
A "full-scale dictatorship in which elections are meaningless and regime opponents are locked up, exiled, or killed remains highly unlikely in America," said Harvard University government professor Steven Levitsky at The Atlantic. But this "doesn't mean the country won't experience authoritarianism in some form," as Trump "has already moved strongly in this direction." What is happening is a "coordinated effort to dig in, cement power, and weaken rivals."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Competitive authoritarianism would "transform political life in the United States," said Levitsky and University of Toronto political science professor Lucan A. Way at Foreign Affairs. The U.S. is "heading toward competitive authoritarian rule, not single-party dictatorship." These governments "routinely use economic policy and regulatory decisions to reward politically friendly individuals, firms and organizations." Businesses often have a "strong incentive to align themselves with incumbents," and the same pattern can be seen in the media.
The "risk of democratic backsliding has never been more pronounced," said Jim Powers at East Texas News. When it comes to checks and balances, Trump has "already demonstrated his intent to replace independent institutions with loyalists who prioritize personal allegiance over constitutional duty." It is Congress' job to check presidential power, but if the "Republican Party maintains control, Trump's power will go largely unchecked," and there is already a "normalization of efforts to overturn results that do not favor the party in power."
This also relates to the "broader context in which Trumpism has seemingly thrived," said Ishaan Tharoor at The Washington Post. Trump's "efforts to restrict voting rights, cow or shut out mainstream media and purge state institutions of nonpartisan bureaucrats are all precursors to a turn toward a regime of electoral autocracy."
What next?
"We're pretty screwed," Levitsky bluntly said to Intelligencer. Congress "basically shutting itself down in the wake of the executive branch usurping its power is also really stunning." Levitsky also noted the influence of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has already fired large swaths of federal employees as part of a cost-cutting effort.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
There will still be pushback against the Trump administration, experts say, and America's wealth plays a large part in this. One "major reason that rich democracies are more stable is that capitalist development disperses human, financial and organizational resources away from the state, generating countervailing power in society," said Levitsky and Way.
The U.S. remained a "flawed democracy" in 2024, according to The Economist's Democracy Index, and this trend is likely to continue. This is also part of an overall pattern of anti-democratic governments worldwide. Only 45% of the world's population currently lives in a democracy.
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
5 brilliantly barbed cartoons about free speech
Cartoons Artists take on who gets to speak, the definition of hate speech, and more
-
September 20 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include Senate confirmations, and mocking the powerful
-
21 Donald Trump political cartoons
Cartoons The nation's cartoonists take on Donald Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, Jimmy Kimmel, war and peace
-
Trump asks Supreme Court to OK Cook ouster
Speed Read In his attempt to seize control of the US central bank, the president seeks permission to oust Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook
-
The US and Colombia renew their feud over the drug war
In the Spotlight The US has accused Colombia of failing in its drug-fighting efforts
-
ABC shelves ‘Kimmel Live’ after Trump FCC threat
Speed Read ‘A free and democratic society cannot silence comedians because the president doesn’t like what they say’
-
What is Donald Trump’s visit worth to the UK economy?
In the Spotlight Centrepiece of the president’s trip, business-wise, is a ‘technology partnership’
-
Trump’s visit: the mouse and the walrus
Talking Point Britain is keen to point to its own ‘tangible results’, but the US administration has made their demands clear
-
Supreme Court: Will it allow Trump’s tariffs?
Feature Justices fast-track Trump’s appeal to see if his sweeping tariffs are unconstitutional
-
Democrats’ strategy to woo voters for 2026: religion
The Explainer Politicians like Rob Sand and James Talarico have made a name for themselves pushing their faith
-
Venezuela: Was Trump’s air strike legal?
Feature A Trump-ordered airstrike targeted a speedboat off the coast of Venezuela, killing all 11 passengers on board