Vox, Sept. 23, 2025 — by Cameron Peters (interview with Zack Beauchamp)
This conversation breaks down how the Trump administration is edging the U.S. toward “competitive authoritarianism” — not outright dictatorship, but a system where opposition technically exists yet is systematically weakened. Through tactics like pressuring media (e.g. Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension), threatening civil society groups, and coercing corporations, Trump is testing how far he can “slice” democratic freedoms without triggering mass resistance. Political scientist Zack Beauchamp warns that the danger lies in acquiescence: if each attack is treated as isolated, the cumulative effect could hollow out democracy before most realize what’s happened. The antidote? Collective defiance — across media, business, politics, and civil society — to stop salami-slicing before it becomes consolidation.
A Green Light for Authoritarianism: How the Trump Administration Fuels Global Autocracy
American Progress, Sept. 19, 2025
The Trump administration has dismantled key U.S. pro-democracy programs, cutting funding to USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy, and Voice of America, while signaling support or indifference toward authoritarian leaders. These retreats have emboldened strongmen in Serbia, Hungary, and Turkey to escalate crackdowns on civil society, opposition leaders, and LGBTQ+ rights. The result is a global environment where autocrats act with impunity, eroding U.S. influence and accelerating democratic backsliding worldwide.
A Region Reordered by Autocracy and Democracy
Freedom House’s latest Nations in Transit report shows democracy across Central Europe to Central Asia has declined for the 20th year in a row. Autocrats are cracking down harder, coordinating with each other to dodge sanctions, silence opposition, and normalize aggression like Russia’s war on Ukraine and Azerbaijan’s seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh.
At the same time, democratic resilience still shows up where people mobilize in large numbers. Poland offers a clear example: despite the ruling party’s electoral manipulation, voter turnout hit record levels and handed victory to a pro-democracy coalition, opening the door to repair years of damage to institutions and the rule of law. Ukraine is the only “hybrid” regime moving in a democratic direction, while others are sliding back or stuck in partisan deadlock.
The report warns that democracies cannot just rely on elections and trade deals—they need to invest more in military readiness and back Ukraine decisively. If not, authoritarian expansion will continue, raising costs not only in Europe but for democracies worldwide, including the United States.
Key flashpoints:
- Poland – Despite electoral manipulation, record turnout flipped power to a pro-democracy coalition, showing mass mobilization can still reverse backsliding.
- Ukraine – The only hybrid state improving, even while under Russian attack.
- Azerbaijan – Conquest and ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh exposed how unchecked autocracies export violence.
- U.S. reliability in question – Political shifts in Washington have left European allies doubting America’s long-term commitment as a security guarantor, pressuring democracies to build stronger independent defense and solidarity networks.
The takeaway: elections and institutions aren’t enough. Democracies must expand support for civic rights, strengthen military preparedness, and decisively back Ukraine—or risk letting authoritarian expansion harden into a permanent new order.
→ Read more at Freedom House
Critical Mass: Three Point Five Percent 