The United States' Democratic Backslide

On January 21st, 2025, Donald Trump began his second term as president.

It was a day of mixed emotions throughout the nation. Some were elated, believing that problems would finally be fixed. For others, it was somber, their biggest fears a reality.

For everyone in D.C., it was a chilling day – literally. The wind whipped through the streets, and the National Mall was covered in a layer of ice. The mixed crowd gathered before the Capitol to watch the inauguration. Though, due to the weather the celebration had been moved indoors. This meant that those who traveled, some hundreds of miles, could only wait with baited breath for the ceremony to end and the president to (hopefully) step out and greet the crowd.

Those inside were a wealthy and influential group. They were not the masses that got Trump elected, though they certainly helped to push his agenda and spread his message to a slew of young voters. Individuals like Elon Musk, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, the Paul brothers, and podcaster Joe Rogan got prime seats for the event. Tech giants and media personnel were the key figures, ahead of some of the more expected names such as former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

As promised, Trump began his work on day one, signing 26 Executive orders. Many of the orders were primarily symbolic, though that doesn’t mean they had no impact. Tensions rose with orders calling for the removal of DEI institutions, the demarcation of only two federally recognized genders, and the renaming of landmarks such as the Gulf of Mexico and Mt. Denali.

The most controversial actions stem from Trump’s past and current stance on immigration. Immigration at the southern border was called an invasion. The detention of undocumented immigrants was called for. The Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Homeland Security were told they could take action and deploy personnel as they saw fit.

Day one was a sign of what was to come, a sign that the United State’s slow descent was picking up pace like none of us could have imagined. Well, perhaps not all of us. Scholars have been warning us for years that the country is facing a democratic backslide, but many don’t know what this term means or how to prevent it.

Democratic backsliding is a term used to describe countries whose democratic values and ideals decline.

Culturally, the U.S. has been in a slow decline to conservatism since the first Trump presidency in 2016. There was a great amount of backlash to a woman, Hillary Clinton, running for office. Additionally, the rhetoric displayed by Trump and his supporters – especially regarding immigration – was appalling.

Thus began the right-ward shift of the populace, something seen throughout the world today in other democracies such as Germany. The people elect more far right politicians, these politicians work to shape the institutions in their favor, and the people are left wondering where it all went wrong later down the line.

It’s a vicious cycle that’s eating away at democracy.

There’s even more trouble when democratic practices are called into question. Take the 2020 election. Trump questioned the legitimacy of the election results all the way to the day Biden was sworn into office. With a mass of supporters at the Capitol on January 6th, Trump held a rally that inflamed the crowd.

Of course, there’s the discussion as to if Trump is truly at fault for the actions of the protestors on January 6th, but it’s no question that his words certainly didn’t help de-escalate the situation. Those in Congress were at risk of serious harm as swarms of protestors flooded in through the doors, jumping barricades and bringing down officers.

This day should have been a wake up call for the millions of Americans at home. A Democratic president may have taken office, but that didn’t mean tensions were going to settle. In fact, they swelled.

The Black Lives Matter protests later that year was another example of rising partisanship.

Right wing individuals described the groups as nothing but looters and rioters. The crux of the problem was ignored – the institutionalized racism in America, especially in the police force. To the right, the police were the ones facing victimization which led to the rise of Blue Lives Matter flag sales and pointed Facebook posts.

The left isn’t safe from criticism either. Some of these individuals argued that the protestors were protesting incorrectly. Instead of “riots” there should have been peaceful demonstrations. The demonstrations should not have greatly affected everyday life.

But when has the U.S. ever taken the chill route?

Looking through history, America has done far more for far less. We started an entire revolution and threw English tea into the Boston harbor over some taxes. For decades, centuries even, we’ve been known to escalate matters better than anyone else. However, when citizens march in the streets for valid reasons, for the protection of their neighbors and the end of unjust practices, we’re said to have taken it too far.

A similar display of partisanship and rhetoric was displayed in the more recent Palestinian solidarity encampments across college campuses. Students faced the militarization of police as teargas and rubber bullets were utilized to break up crowds. The right to assembly is found in the First Amendment, one that politicians love to reference due to the freedom of speech found there as well. However, this right isn’t given to the people when their protests are shut down, and they are imprisoned for petitioning the government.

With these current news cycles, it can be easy to give up hope. It takes less effort to sit back and watch the world fall around you than to step up and do something about it. What can one person do to stop the modern day gestapo in LA? What can one person do to combat the rise in partisan divide?

To that I say this: it doesn’t take one person. Okay. There might be one person who’s the spark, fine, but a battle isn’t won by individuals alone. Movements aren’t continued by a sole survivor. Revolutions aren’t the act of a single player. Change relies on the actions of the many, on the cooperation of hundreds, thousands, of people all across the U.S.

Change isn’t just about the big cities like New York or Los Angeles or Chicago. It’s also about the small towns banding together and showing up. Change isn’t about the one influencer that made a post with millions of likes. It’s about the hundreds that follow in their footsteps and share the message across the globe.

While hope is important to have, and without it all else fails, there’s another critical factor that cannot be forgotten.

Education.

Don’t stop learning, never stop learning.

Fascism relies on the citizenry being uninformed about what’s happening around them. In some cases, that be an individual not knowing the history of a conflict or the factors that lead to a protest. Even more problematic is when people don’t know their rights and how the governmental systems work.

Because sometimes, knowing the system works in your favor.

Despite how challenging it can be to see the tragedies in the news, never stop reading up on current events. Better yet, check out the story from both sides, left and right, to see how parties are spinning the narrative. Don’t allow yourself to be sucked into a single narrative.

Know your constitutional rights front and back, the rights given to you by Supreme Court cases, and additional protections that your state may allow you. It’s a lot to learn, but there are plenty of fact sheets and Quizlets out there to utilize – I would know, I took Constitutional Law.

Once you’re ready to step out into the world: get involved.

This doesn’t always involve walking down city streets with signs and protesting though. For some, this is impossible. So, call your local representative – House or Senate. This is particularly important in states where questionable bills may be on the docket. You can also write to your local civic organizations such as city councils and chambers of commerce as well as local branches of national organizations.

Get involved and keep moving forward.

Those that strip the people of power rely on the idea that there will come a day where the people give up their fight and back down. If that day comes, we all lose. When one person is stripped of their rights, we all have that risk.

The right to habeas corpus is a great example. This right is a key aspect of the Constitution and prevents the unlawful detention of individuals. At this moment, this right is being chipped away with the detention of U.S. citizens like Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez. It’s important, now more than ever, that we stand up to protect these rights. Not only will you protect those around you, you end up protecting yourself too.

All empires fall – the Romans, Ottomans, and Soviets – and the mighty do too. To some this is a grim statement, but to others it’s a reminder that change will come. We will rise together, but that only happens if we work together. So look to your neighbor, your classmate, your coworker, and remember that we’re all fighting for a better world.