'If You Can Keep It': Competitive Authoritarianism 101

Published February 25, 2025 at 9:37 AM EST

U.S. President Donald Trump walks to the Residence after arriving to the White House in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)

"LONG LIVE THE KING!"

President Donald Trump posted that self-referential statement on Truth Social last week. He was celebrating his attempt to kill congestion pricing in New York City.

And several weeks ago, Trump declared, "He who saves his country does not violate any law."

His administration's actions are clear. They appear to be abandoning the American democracy we know. So, what does a new American government look like if our system of democracy no longer holds? And what does it mean for you, regardless of your political affiliation?

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