Would a second Donald Trump presidency really imperil American democracy?
Influential commentators suggest that the former president is too “weak,” too desperate to be popular or simply not “smart” enough to be a dictator. But American history lacks any real precedent and other countries’ recent experiences suggest that a political movement with autocratic tendencies will become more ruthless and effective a second time around — especially after an electoral defeat.
Here’s how it tends to play out: A first-time leader or a new party gains national power, only to suffer a bitter electoral defeat after a single term. This experience has a radicalizing effect and the party or leader becomes determined never to lose again. When the party does win a second time, it quickly moves to destroy the institutions and rules that could threaten its hold on power.
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