America at a Crossroads: Democracy Won’t Save Itself

Political scientist Steven Levitsky warns that America has entered an era of “competitive authoritarianism” – a system where leaders weaponize government, purge institutions of expertise, and punish dissent. This is not a full-blown dictatorship, but it’s far from a healthy democracy. Today’s GOP, he says, no longer accepts election results, renounces political violence, or distances itself from anti-democratic forces. This is no longer just about Trump—it’s the entire party embracing authoritarianism.

Courts have resisted some of Trump’s overreach, but they don’t operate in isolation. Judges, businesses, and power brokers respond to public pressure. That’s where we come in. Ordinary citizens must mobilize – show up at town halls, protest in the streets, attend local meetings, and raise our voices. Every act of resistance makes it harder for authoritarianism to take hold.

Organizations with financial and social influence must also take a stand. Silence is complicity. Levitsky reminds us that democracy isn't defended from the sidelines—it requires loud, visible, relentless pushback.

Levitsky wrote, “America’s slide into authoritarianism is reversible. But no one has ever defeated autocracy from the sidelines.”

The path won’t be easy, but it’s still ours to choose. The time to act is now.

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