The United States of America was founded with the primary goal of escaping the oppressive authoritarian monarchy of the British government. The colonies made a monumental decision to declare their independence as a nation so that they could escape oppression. Over the next 200 years, the American government would come to embrace some of the very values that it was once founded against. The United States has gradually become a stronghold for authoritarian politics. 

One of the prime examples of authoritarianism within the United States is the strong arm tactics utilized by Donald Trump over the course of his four-year term. As outlined by The Hill, Trump’s handling of his election defeat was a clear display of authoritarian politics. Trump attempted to strong arm the American justice system and media into buying into his narrative that the election was the result of fraudulent political proceedings. This narrative was of course proven to be false within the courts, and the accusations of electoral fraud were deemed to be insignificant or nonexistent. Furthermore, Trump demonstrated authoritarian politics by encouraging the siege upon the Capitol on Jan. 6. The Trump administration’s response to the election results is just one of the many examples of authoritarian abuses of power.

Another example of authoritarian politics within the United States is certain members of the GOP’s utilization of media manipulation and propaganda to mislead the political understandings of their constituents. According to Vox, “Some of these developments, like extreme gerrymandering and efforts to keep their supporters in a propaganda bubble insulated from nonpartisan media, are long-running.” These methods of political manipulation are classic examples of authoritarian politics. 

Authoritarianism is not a trait unique to the Republican party, but rather a frightening shift in the way in which modern American politicians carry themselves in their pursuit of political power. It is a harsh reality of American politics that often goes unrecognized. Authoritarianism is on the rise within the United States, and it is the duty of the American citizenry to defend the anti-authoritarian and democratic values that this nation was founded on.