Analysis

A hallmark of authoritarianism is the unchecked centralization of power in the executive branch.

Since returning to office in 2025, Donald Trump has rapidly expanded presidential power while undermining the systems designed to limit it.

1. Governing by Executive Order

Trump has relied heavily on executive orders to bypass Congressional processes:

• Attempting to Bypass Congress: Abusing Executive Orders to quickly enforce actions through decree instead of following process (The Independent, April 2025)
• Unilateral Immigration Directives: Reinstated and expanded prior travel bans and asylum restrictions without legislative input (BSG, Jan 2025).
• Federal Spending Overrides: Redirected funds for security and border projects, overriding Congressional appropriations (NPR, Feb 2025).
• Rollback of Environmental Protections: Nullified regulations through administrative orders rather than public rule making (Sky News, March 2025).

2. Dismantling Independent Oversight Institutions

Checks on executive power have been systematically weakened:

• Targeting Inspectors General: Fired multiple IGs across agencies, citing “disloyalty” (Wikipedia).
• Politicization of the DOJ: Empowered loyalist leadership to ignore traditional legal constraints (The Guardian,May 2025).
• Mass Civil Service Firings: Began a sweeping purge of federal employees deemed insufficiently loyal, replacing them with political appointees (Reuters, April 2025).
• Attacks on Federal Agencies: Stripped independence from the EPA, FBI, and intelligence agencies, reassigning staff to White House-controlled task forces (New York Times, June 2025).

3. Inner Circle Governance and Parallel Structures

Decision-making has become increasingly centralized and opaque:

• Cabinet Bypassed: Major decisions now routed through a select group of personal advisors, bypassing formal departments (CNN, April 2025).
• Use of Loyalty Committees: Created informal advisory boards consisting solely of ideological allies and family members (Associated Press, January 2025).
• Opaque Communications: Escalated use of private messaging and non-government emails to avoid FOIA compliance (American Oversight, April 2025).

4. Abuse of Emergency Powers

Trump has normalized the use of emergency declarations:

• “National Emergency” Designations: Invoked for political issues like immigration and protests, allowing expanded authority. (Brennan Center, January 2025)
• Deployment of Federal Forces: Sent DHS and military units into cities without state consent during civil unrest. (Wikipedia, June 2020)
• Proposed Continuity-of-Government Extensions: Floated the idea of deferring elections in case of “national instability” (ABC News, January 2025).

5. Legislative Assault on Judicial Oversight

In a striking move to reduce the power of the judiciary, Trump introduced what he called his “Big, Beautiful Bill”:

• Curtailing Judicial Review: The legislation includes provisions to limit federal courts from blocking executive actions, even if deemed unconstitutional (Reuters, May 2025.
• Bundled with Popular Measures: Framed as a sweeping tax cut bill to ensure public and Congressional support, burying the court-weakening provisions in broader economic reforms (BBC, May 2025).
• Judicial Alarm: Legal scholars and former judges warn this would “gut judicial independence” and create a near-imperial presidency (San Francisco Chronicle, May 2025).

6. Targeting Dissent Within Institutions

Trump’s consolidation of executive power has extended into the suppression of dissent within public and civil society institutions:

• Whistleblower Retaliation: Trump’s administration weakened federal whistleblower protections by firing the head of the Office of Special Counsel and suspending mandated training programs. A federal judge later ruled the firings unlawful, but the damage to internal reporting systems was already done (The National Law Review, Feb 2025).
• Loyalty Screenings and Political Vetting: Federal employees, particularly in national security roles, have been subjected to loyalty tests and ideological scrutiny, undermining civil service neutrality (Federal News Network, Jan 2025).
• Attacks on Education: Trump has targeted universities viewed as politically hostile. Harvard, for example, saw over $3 billion in federal funding frozen under accusations of “campus antisemitism,” a move widely seen as retaliatory and politically motivated (The Guardian, June 2025).
• De-Funding Critical Institutions: Think tanks, public media, and research institutions that publish material critical of the administration have faced defunding or regulatory scrutiny, discouraging institutional dissent and chilling academic freedom. (Wikipedia).

Conclusion

Trump’s second term has marked a profound shift toward centralized executive authority. By dismantling oversight institutions, bypassing legislative norms, undermining judicial review, and abusing emergency declarations, the presidency has become increasingly unaccountable. These actions not only undermine the balance of powers but set a precedent for future leaders to rule without democratic constraint. The consolidation of executive power may represent the most structural and enduring erosion of American democracy to date.