{"id":847,"date":"2025-05-15T18:29:37","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T18:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/?p=847"},"modified":"2025-05-20T15:10:35","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T15:10:35","slug":"american-democracy-under-siege-constitutional-experts-warn-of-rising-authoritarianism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/american-community-media\/american-democracy-under-siege-constitutional-experts-warn-of-rising-authoritarianism\/","title":{"rendered":"American Democracy Under Siege: Constitutional Experts Warn of Rising Authoritarianism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a recent panel hosted by American Community Media, three prominent scholars analyzed the state of democracy in the United States. The discussion underscored how political polarization and institutional erosion, especially under the Trump administration, are fueling an authoritarian shift that threatens civil liberties and democratic norms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Authoritarianism Is No Longer a Foreign Threat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lucan Ahmad Way, Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto, argued that the United States is experiencing a faster and more insidious form of authoritarianism compared to other countries like Hungary or Poland. \u201cWhat we\u2019ve seen in the U.S. is a much quicker imposition of authoritarianism,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Way introduced the concept of competitive authoritarianism, a regime where elections are held but systematically undermined. \u201cIn the U.S., dictators are elected and appear to follow democratic procedures while eroding its foundations from within,\u201d he explained. This model enables authoritarian leaders to maintain a democratic fa\u00e7ade while weakening core institutions such as a free press, the judiciary, and legislative oversight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also emphasized that American democracy has always been \u201cimperfect,\u201d particularly in its treatment of racial minorities and marginalized communities. \u201cWhat\u2019s new is that now even mainstream political opposition is under attack,\u201d he added. The current moment, he warned, is marked by the normalization of anti-democratic rhetoric and complicity within parts of the political system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Judicial System in Peril<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aziz Z. Huq, Professor of Law at the University of Chicago, focused on the institutional weakening of courts and due process. He noted that during the early months of the Trump administration, there was a sustained pattern of disregard for judicial rulings. \u201cFederal judges are facing rhetorical attacks from the White House and from private entities aligned with the administration. This has an intimidating effect,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huq stressed that due process is a foundational right protecting all individuals\u2014citizens or not\u2014from arbitrary state actions. \u201cIt\u2019s the right to be heard before the government takes any measure that affects your liberty or well-being,\u201d he explained. This basic safeguard, he argued, has been repeatedly undermined under the guise of public order or national security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regarding habeas corpus, Huq was blunt: \u201cIt is unlawful for the government to transfer a detainee outside of their jurisdiction before their legal claim is resolved. And yet, that\u2019s happening to students and protesters.\u201d These practices, he argued, violate essential constitutional principles and represent an authoritarian shift with real, physical consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Authoritarian Expansion and a Constitutional Crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, a constitutional law scholar at John Jay College (CUNY), remarked that many Americans took their liberties for granted\u2014until they began to vanish. \u201cWe assumed our rights were permanent, but we\u2019ve been asleep while a constitutional crisis has been growing,\u201d she warned. \u201cIt now affects not only Black Americans, but also migrants, students, and dissenters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Browne-Marshall asserted that fear has been a central tool of political control. \u201cThe attack on universities, the repression of protests, and the criminalization of entire communities are all part of an authoritarian strategy,\u201d she noted. She also highlighted how social fragmentation plays into the regime\u2019s hands. \u201cWe need unity among isolated groups. Only then can we resist this model of power,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She emphasized the role of women, racialized communities, and youth as key drivers of democratic resistance. \u201cThese groups have the power to reshape history\u2014but only if they understand the system and act strategically,\u201d she said. Browne-Marshall concluded by reminding the audience that constitutional rights are not automatic; they are tools that must be actively defended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Seems Irreversible Can Still Be Reversed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the alarming outlook, the panelists agreed that democratic backsliding is not inevitable. \u201cWe are in an authoritarian regime, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s irreversible. We must name it and respond accordingly,\u201d Way insisted. Recognizing early signs\u2014extreme polarization, anti-pluralist rhetoric, and judicial defiance\u2014is crucial, he said, along with responding across all spheres: legal, political, educational, and civic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Democracy: An Unfinished Project<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The forum made one thing clear: American democracy is in crisis, but it is not beyond saving. Its survival will depend largely on the ability of citizens to resist, organize, and forge a new, more inclusive social contract. As the speakers reminded us, democracy is not a guaranteed legacy\u2014it is an unfinished project that must be defended daily against the threat of unchecked power.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a recent panel hosted by American Community Media, three prominent scholars analyzed the state of democracy in the United States. The discussion underscored how political polarization and institutional erosion, especially under the Trump administration, are fueling an authoritarian shift that threatens civil liberties and democratic norms. Authoritarianism Is No Longer a Foreign Threat Lucan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":848,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[686],"tags":[914,12,132],"class_list":["post-847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-community-media","tag-authoritarism","tag-democracy","tag-trump"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=847"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":856,"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/847\/revisions\/856"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}