Simulations Reveal Potential Democratic Erosion Under Second Trump Term

Experts role-play scenarios to understand and counteract possible authoritarian moves by a re-elected Trump administration.

The Democracy Futures Project conducted five large-scale simulation exercises with bipartisan participation.
Scenarios included Trump's use of the Insurrection Act and politicization of federal agencies.
Participants found existing legal and institutional guardrails insufficient to prevent potential abuses.
Key recommendations include organizing well-resourced support networks and pre-committing to specific actions.
Public opinion and coordinated state-level actions are seen as crucial defenses against authoritarian overreach.