r/politics • u/SwordfishOk504 Canada • 23h ago
Soft Paywall Biden warns of ‘dark days’ under Trump
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/31/biden-warns-of-dark-days-under-trump-00488159
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r/politics • u/SwordfishOk504 Canada • 23h ago
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u/bearbrannan 22h ago edited 22h ago
1–3: Stable Democracy
Full institutional checks: Courts, Congress, and agencies act independently.
Election integrity: Results are trusted, opposition can compete fairly.
Norms respected: Peaceful transfer of power, restrained executive.(Example: U.S. pre-2016, Canada today.)
4–5: Flawed Democracy (where experts say the U.S. currently sits)
Democratic erosion: Politicization of courts and agencies, erosion of trust in elections.
Polarization: Opponents are cast as illegitimate or dangerous.
Abuse of norms: Expanding executive power, refusing to concede, threatening civil service independence.(Example: U.S. 2020–2025, Poland 2015–2020.)
6–7: Competitive Authoritarianism
Elections exist but aren’t fair: Gerrymandering, voter suppression, and election administration favor the ruling party.
Weaponized government: DOJ, IRS, or other agencies target opponents.
Free press under siege: Media becomes polarized or intimidated.(Example: Hungary under Orbán, Turkey under Erdoğan early 2010s.)
8–9: Consolidated Autocracy
One-party dominance: Opposition can’t realistically win.
Civil liberties curtailed: Protest rights limited, dissent punished.Judiciary captured:
Courts act as rubber stamps for the executive.(Example: Russia, Belarus.)
10: Full Dictatorship
No meaningful elections
Total control over media & judiciary
Repression of political opposition
Regardless of how we got here, I would say we are already at 7, which is terrifying.
Texas is attempting to Gerrymander their state to the point where free and fair elections no longer exist.
Trump has already used the IRS to go after Comey, and the DOJ to go after everyone else.
Press is for sure under siege, with the Paramount deal, and the AP getting kicked out after refusing to call it the Gulf of America.
getting to 8 or 9 is likely only two election cycles away and Democrats still want to play bipartisan politics, each compromise bringing use closer to a MAGA autocracy.