As we all seek to sort through the ongoing challenges of the Trump era, I have two recommendations. Both are thoughtful and informative, although neither is especially optimistic.
First, I recommend the Substack diary of Adam Przezworksi, a noted scholar of democracy and professor emeritus of political science at NYU. I will note that he is not using Substack to create individual posts but appears to be just adding to the one post that he started on February 11th and runs through March 5 as of my writing this post. Even if he doesn’t write another word, I think his thoughts are worth reviewing. I agree with his general assessment and share his exhaustion in trying to keep up with and understand what we are witnessing.
Przeworski is a naturalized American citizen who was born and raised in Poland. The most chilling passage from his diary is this.
This is where I am today. Not reacting to the news, which are replete with disasters, but thinking about the future. I grew up under a dictatorship but could never imagine I would die under one. Today I entertain this possibility.
Second is a podcast from Lilliana Mason, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins, and Thomas Zimmer, a visiting Professor of History at Georgetown. It is called Is This Democracy. I would recommend the entire run (they are up to episode 40) but would note that 1-36 is really about the state of American democracy during the last two years of the Biden administration. Episode 37 onward is about the current situation, and one could easily start wth episode 37.
I have cited Mason’s work in the past and think she is an important observer of contemporary partisan politics. Zimmer also has a Substack worth reading.
I think that all three of the above see some pretty dark stuff going on as it pertains to the American government. While there is some hope focused on either a serious downturn in public opinion/ the 2026 midterms, they all see clear signs of authoritarianism from the administration. This is where I am as well. Indeed, I share with all three of the scholars noted above a sense that we have ranged into something new in terms of how to classify the current regime, but also not quite ready to declare exactly where we are.
But I think that is all more scholarly reticence to make declarations in the middle of a process than it is any belief that thinks are not as bad as they look.
