Predictions: Where This Might Lead
A four-year forecast of democratic erosion based on historical precedent and emerging trends.
2025 — Consolidation of Power
Economic Nationalism and Trade Weaponization
The administration uses sweeping tariffs, economic retaliation, and anti-globalist rhetoric to reframe trade policy as a tool of national identity, political control, and executive power.
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Mass Layoffs via RIFs Across Federal Agencies
The administration initiates widespread reductions in force (RIFs) across federal departments, removing thousands of career staff under the justification of budget streamlining, efficiency, or policy...
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Rollback of Executive Orders and Institutional Norms
The administration begins systematically rescinding prior executive orders, guidance memos, and internal norms established under previous administrations, targeting those that support climate policy,...
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Schedule F Revival and Loyalty-Based Bureaucracy
The administration reinstates and expands Schedule F, reclassifying thousands of career federal employees to remove job protections and allow for the dismissal of those deemed disloyal to the presiden...
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2026 — Suppression of Opposition
Anti-Protest Legislation and Public Assembly Suppression
New legislation and enforcement practices at both the state and federal levels target public demonstrations, redefining peaceful protest as criminal behavior and imposing harsh penalties to deter mass...
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Expansion of Domestic Surveillance on Activists and Civic Groups
The administration expands domestic surveillance capabilities to monitor protest organizers, civic groups, and opposition movements, under the justification of national security, public order, or “ant...
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Legal Pressure and Intimidation of Critical Media
The administration escalates legal action and intimidation campaigns against independent media outlets and journalists, aiming to delegitimize investigative reporting and chill dissent through lawsuit...
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State-Aligned Media Infrastructure and Propaganda Amplification
The administration boosts the reach and credibility of loyal media outlets while flooding the public sphere with disinformation, state-aligned narratives, and cultural propaganda designed to delegitim...
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2027 — Centralization of Authority
Collapse of Public Trust and Civic Withdrawal
Widespread disillusionment, fatigue, and fear drive the public away from political participation, resulting in lower voter turnout, diminished protest activity, and a general retreat from civic engage...
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Executive Orders Bypassing Congress and Judicial Review
The administration increasingly governs by executive order, using legal reinterpretation and emergency powers to bypass both Congress and the courts, weakening the principle of separation of powers.
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Federal Overrides of State Election and Legal Authority
The administration moves to undermine or bypass state-level control over elections, certification, and legal decisions through federal mandates, reinterpretation of jurisdiction, and coercive pressure...
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Military and Law Enforcement Leadership Purges
The administration orchestrates the dismissal, early retirement, or sidelining of senior military, intelligence, and law enforcement officials viewed as insufficiently loyal, replacing them with ideol...
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2028 — Entrenchment of Power
Calls to Remove Term Limits and Amend the Constitution
The administration or its allies openly call for the repeal or reinterpretation of presidential term limits, promoting constitutional amendments or legal theories to allow indefinite executive rule un...
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Electoral Manipulation Through Voter Suppression and Certification Control
The administration and allied state actors implement systemic voter suppression tactics and gain control over election certification processes to predetermine outcomes, undermining the possibility of...
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Expanded Alliances with Authoritarian Regimes and Departure from International Norms
The administration deepens ties with authoritarian governments while retreating from traditional democratic alliances and international organizations, reshaping U.S. foreign policy around regime prese...
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Normalization of Elections With Limited or Symbolic Opposition
National elections continue to occur, but with opposition parties and candidates heavily restricted, discredited, or suppressed — transforming elections into symbolic rituals that affirm executive pow...
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