As always with questions of Trump and democracy, we're bogging down in a false binary.
"Coup" language is too simplistic to describe violating the norm of accepting the results of an election you have lost. Democratic erosion can result without a "coup."
"Coup" language is too simplistic to describe violating the norm of accepting the results of an election you have lost. Democratic erosion can result without a "coup."
https://twitter.com/jimgolby/status/1325993265301164034?s=20
We've back in the same loop:
1. Trump violates key democratic norms
2. People get worried
3. Some go too far and say dictator, coup, etc.
4. Other people point to #3 and say everything is fine b/c he's not a dictator, it's not a coup, etc.
In reality, democracy is not binary!
1. Trump violates key democratic norms
2. People get worried
3. Some go too far and say dictator, coup, etc.
4. Other people point to #3 and say everything is fine b/c he's not a dictator, it's not a coup, etc.
In reality, democracy is not binary!
Democracy exists on a continuum; it is not binary. Democratic erosion can take place even if we ultimately have a peaceful transfer of power. It doesn't require dictators or coups. This more subtle form of erosion is now more common - and a greater threat to our system of govt.
This was true on Tuesday, it was true on Saturday, and it'll be true on January 20.
https://twitter.com/BrendanNyhan/status/1325458239459307520?s=20
For more, see @RyanDEnos 
And here's a USAID review on democratic backsliding - usually occurs w/o a change in regime type pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PBAAD…
"Erdmann’s (2011: 26) study of 52 cases of backsliding found that only 5 were a transition from democracy to an authoritarian regime"
"Erdmann’s (2011: 26) study of 52 cases of backsliding found that only 5 were a transition from democracy to an authoritarian regime"
https://twitter.com/kreissdaniel/status/1326131952181780481?s=20
Re-upping this thread b/c I keep reading people saying what Trump is doing is illegal. It's not! He's violating *norms* we depend on to ensure the peaceful transfer of power and confidence in our electoral system. The deterioration of those norms contributes to democratic erosion
You *cannot* understand what is happening using binary frameworks of democracy/autocracy and coup/peaceful transfer of power. What Trump and the GOP are doing now can contribute to democratic erosion even if we remain a democracy and ultimately have a peaceful transfer of power.
Avoid false binaries
https://twitter.com/KSchultz3580/status/1326535327536746502?s=20
An example of inane false binaries about democracy vs. not, coup vs. not
wtf (1876 turned out just fine? really??? what about ... um ... the end of Reconstruction?)
https://twitter.com/soashworth/status/1326564898361520129?s=20
not a coup, binary oversimplifications confuse people and fail to convey what is destructive
https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1326557964849860608?s=20
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