Reply to What’s it going to be like living in a dictatorship?

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[quote=Anonymous]Since we're on the subject, this is the definition of where I think we are right now--we're a "backsliding democracy." It involves "a gradual process in which the democratic qualities of a political system decline, and it can eventually lead to a more authoritarian or autocratic form of government. In democratic backsliding, elected leaders often use legal or seemingly legitimate institutional changes to expand their power and weaken checks and balances. This can be difficult to identify as it is happening because it occurs in slow, incremental steps rather than a sudden, overt coup."

These are key characteristics of the phenomenon of democratic backsliding. Any of these sound familiar as it relates to our current situation? They sure do to me.

1. [b]Executive aggrandizement[/b]: The executive branch expands its power at the expense of other government branches, such as the legislature and judiciary. This can be achieved by using legislation to weaken judicial independence or by interfering with the public service.

2. [b]Strategic election manipulation[/b]: While holding elections, leaders subvert the integrity of the process. This can include blocking media access for opponents, disqualifying opposition candidates, or suppressing voter turnout.

3. [b]Erosion of civil liberties[/b]: The government curbs fundamental freedoms like free speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly, often using "anti-terrorism" or national security laws as justification.

4). [b]Discrediting opponents and institutions:[/b] Illiberal leaders often delegitimize political opponents and sow distrust in core democratic institutions, such as the courts or the media. [/quote]

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