USA under Trump: En demokratisk tillbakagång?

Sammanfattning

For decades, the United States has been considered one of the most successful democracies in the world. It has historically been known for promoting democracy, maintaining one of the world’s most developed economies, playing a fundamental role in international institutions, and upholding democratic principles as a central part of its political identity. During Donald Trump's second presidency, the United States has been classified as experiencing democratic backsliding, which is particularly notable given the country's current domestic and foreign policy development. This paper examines this democratic backsliding using Daniel Silander's theoretical framework, in which the country is analyzed from four dimensions: ideology, leadership, political parties and civil society. Based on these dimensions, the US is classified within one of three regime types: democracy, authoritarian or hybrid regime. This study applies a qualitative case study approach, using ideal types and dimensional analysis as it’s analytical tools. The findings suggest that the US under Trump's second presidency (2025 - present) exhibits distinctive characteristics of a hybrid regime. Although democratic principles formally remain in place, their role in the political system has been weakened through political reforms. This includes challenges to constitutional standards, where checks and balances have been significantly undermined, as executive power has expanded while other institutions have lost influence.