A recent survey of more than 500 political scientists reveals that an overwhelming majority believe the United States is rapidly shifting away from liberal democracy toward authoritarianism. The survey, conducted by Bright Line Watch, asked US-based professors to rate the health of American democracy on a scale from zero (complete dictatorship) to 100 (perfect democracy).
Following President Donald Trump’s election in November, scholars assigned American democracy a score of 67. Several weeks into Trump’s second term, that score had dropped sharply to 55.
When scholars speak of “authoritarianism,” they are not referring to an outright dictatorship like China’s one-party system with no meaningful elections. Instead, they point to a model known as “competitive authoritarianism,” which they observe in countries such as Hungary and Turkey.
In a competitive authoritarian system, a leader rises to power through democratic means but gradually undermines institutional checks and balances. Typically, the executive fills the civil service, judiciary, and key offices – including the prosecutor’s office – with loyalists. Simultaneously, they target the media, universities, and nongovernmental organizations to stifle dissent and reshape the political environment to favor the ruling party.
Everyone who is against the leader is perceived to be against him. Elon Musk was tasked to clean the government from non-loyalists and all opposition. Musk takes his job very seriously. A dramatic cleanup began. Washington is rapidly changing to the liking of Trump and his loyalists.
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is the best research center I have ever seen, a true gem. I was a fellow at the Center in 2007-2008 and in 2022, and a Wilson Center global fellow. I could not imagine it would be affected by Trump, not only because of the brilliant work it does, but also because it was installed as an act of Congress, a tribute to the American president.
But it was. The Wilson Center became the target of Trump’s efforts to slash federal government agencies. Wilson Center President Mark Green was given two options: resignation or get fired. Green chose to resign. Almost all employees have been placed on administrative leave until May. Their appointments will be terminated then.
Members of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) visited the center and ousted most of its senior leadership. Some 130 employees were told not to return to their offices. The brutality of the process is staggering. One of Washington’s best institutions was closed abruptly and its people, and their families, were thrown out.
The present fellows will continue to work from home until May, when their fellowship will come to an end. One of them, from Afghanistan, said that he saw such things done by the Taliban. He did not expect to see such things in Washington – no one did. The class of 2026 fellows that was already selected received letters that the Center has been effectively closed. Green’s young assistant replaced him; all the center’s departments were shut down.
Established in 1968, the center was created as a tribute to former US President Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921). If you were a policymaker, this was the place to be. Barack Obama gave his foreign affairs speech at the Wilson Centerwhen he was running for president.
Situated in the heart of Washington on Pennsylvania Avenue, the Wilson Center is a federally chartered institution. It was created by Congress and is protected under legislative authority. While the executive branch cannot outright shut it down, it can exert pressure by attempting to restructure it or reduce funding.
According to the Center’s Congressional Charter, it must always have five employees: a president, two federal employees, and two researchers on fellowships. DOGE is respecting this obligation. Five people. This is what is left from a distinguished center that has enriched the lives of thousands of people and contributed immeasurably to scholarship and world politics.
Undermining American democracy
DOGE also ordered the Institute of Museum and Library Services to reduce the performance of its statutory functions and associated personnel to a minimum. IMLS is a non-partisan and independent agency dedicated to supporting and funding libraries and museums and the crucial community services they provide in every state across the United States.
The American Library Association (ALA), the largest library association in the world, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), motioned the federal courts against Trump’s executive order. IMLS was established and funded by Congress in 1996 with a mission to support America’s libraries and museums.
Throughout its history, the agency has enjoyed strong bipartisan backing, having been reauthorized during the Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations. IMLS operates under statutory mandates requiring it to carry out specific activities in support of libraries and to report on key issues to Congress.
The complaint argues that cutting programs at the institute would violate federal law by eliminating initiatives that Congress has explicitly funded and directed the agency to implement. Libraries and museums preserve the country’s collective history and knowledge while offering safe spaces for learning, cultural expression, and access to essential public resources. They are the heart of the communities.
THE TRUMP administration has issued the same executive order to dismantle the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the federal entity overseeing US-funded international media outlets. This move puts thousands of journalism jobs at risk and has sparked strong condemnation from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its US affiliates – the National Writers Union (NWU), the NewsGuild-CWA, and the Authors Guild – who warn it threatens journalists’ livelihoods, press freedom, and the public’s right to information.
USAGM oversees major international broadcasters including Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB), and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN). On 22 April, a federal judge blocked the closure of the Voice of America, the 83-year-old international news service created by Congress.
DOGE shut down another institution that is close to my heart: the US Institute for Peace. USIP has filed a lawsuit against the department after its Washington headquarters were raided in mid-March. There’s an ongoing legal battle over whether President Trump has the authority to dismantle organizations created and funded by Congress. Stay tuned.
I am sure that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s team watches all this and learns. The warning is written on the wall loud and clear.
The writer is a fellow at the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies; professor of politics and founding director of the Middle East Study Centre, University of Hull, UK; president of the Association for Israel Studies; and until recently was a global fellow at The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington DC. X: twitter.com/almagor35