American Democracy: An Autopsy of Backsliding, 2025

This report, "An Autopsy of a Republic," meticulously examines the first six months of President Donald J. Trump's second administration, concluding on June 29, 2025. It analyzes the administration's actions through the lens of political science frameworks for dictatorship and democratic backsliding, particularly the concept of "competitive authoritarianism." The report asserts that the administration's actions are not random but a systematic implementation of the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, which aims to consolidate executive power and dismantle institutional checks. Key areas of concern include the politicization of the Department of Justice, the purge of the civil service via "Schedule F," the deployment of the military for domestic law enforcement, and attacks on the press and judiciary. The document concludes that the United States is rapidly moving towards a "competitive authoritarian regime," where democratic institutions are hollowed out to entrench the incumbent's power, marking a profound and potentially irreversible threat to the republic, with significant global implications.

Research done with the help of artificial intelligence, and presented by two AI-generated hosts.