Democratic Resilience in the United States in the Second Trump Presidency

Cover image: Alejandro Diaz Manrique / Shutterstock

This paper focuses on the challenges of backsliding and recovery in the United States.  What are the primary sources of resilience, and what are the chances that American democracy can rebuild in the aftermath of the Trump era?   The paper begins with a comparative look at ‘recovering backsliders’—countries in which backsliding episodes have been halted and democratic political leaders have returned to power.  The second section turns to the threats to democracy during Trump’s second term and the forces pushing back against them.  The last section assesses the long-term prospects for democratic recovery. The report concludes that while political opposition to Trump’s autocratic initiatives has intensified, the prospects for a long-term recovery of American democracy are limited.