Might 07 (IPS) – CIVICUS speaks about democratic decline within the USA with humanitarian and civil society activist Samuel Worthington, former president of the US civil society alliance InterAction and creator of a brand new ebook, Prisoners of Hope: World Motion and the Evolving Roles of US NGOs.
The USA has been added to the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist resulting from rising considerations about civic freedoms below Donald Trump’s second administration. Since January 2025, government orders have pushed sweeping personnel modifications throughout federal businesses, significantly within the Justice Division. USAID has undergone dramatic restructuring, with funding cuts severely impacting on civil society organisations (CSOs) that assist excluded teams internationally. Protests – significantly these addressing immigration and Israel’s warfare on Gaza – face heightened scrutiny and restrictions. Towards this backdrop, civil society is mobilising to protect democratic ideas and civic engagement.
How would you characterise the present state of US democracy?
The USA is experiencing what can solely be described as a technocratic coup, rooted in far-right authoritarian ideology. The Trump administration is utilizing each software at its disposal, even when which means ignoring and breaking legal guidelines. The purpose is velocity: to make use of know-how, claims of waste and abuse, mixed with actions that dismantle establishments and assault people and organisations.
The Trump administration has adopted a typical authoritarian playbook, just like that utilized by leaders reminiscent of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, however at a a lot higher scale and velocity that has taken many without warning. A major instance is the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE), which makes use of pc techniques to cripple organisations, create lists of ‘unlawful’ people for focusing on and dismantle protections for civic freedoms. Trump is trying to centralise energy in a Twenty first-century US variant of fascism, backed by a white nationalist ideology and largely primarily based on Venture 2025.
Civil society and establishments weren’t ready for this degree of assault. Many assumed democracy was extra resilient and norms would maintain. As a substitute, we at the moment are witnessing core democratic establishments below assault. For the primary time, we’re seeing express federal government-driven censorship, with official lists of banned phrases. The administration is systematically attacking variety, fairness and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and withholding funds to punish noncompliant universities and establishments.
Trump is weaponising public cash as leverage – even blackmail – to power organisations and US states to conform along with his ideology. Whereas pushback from the courts is growing, this resistance has led to Trump’s assaults on the judiciary. The administration can be limiting media entry to shops that don’t align with its ideology.
As with all types of fascism, there should be a scapegoat, and right here, it’s migrants and transgender individuals. The Trump administration labels migrants as ‘illegals’ and mass deportations goal anybody who doesn’t match its slender definition of who’s an American. Adjustments to the structure are being proposed to strip citizenship rights from US-born kids of undocumented mother and father. Random arrests, disappearances and militarised threats towards migrants have gotten more and more widespread.
All of this has transpired in simply the primary hundred days. Democracy’s core establishments — civil society, media, Congress, the judiciary — and the rule of regulation itself are below huge stress. The USA is within the midst of a profound constitutional disaster.
How has USAID’s restructuring impacted on civil society?
USAID served because the administration’s check case for destroying a authorities company. DOGE destroyed USAID by disabling its pc techniques, stopping funding and cancelling contracts. Underneath the structure, solely Congress has the authority to regulate appropriations or shut authorities businesses. Even when courts dominated towards the administration and ordered programmes to restart, the injury was irreversible: USAID’s techniques had already been dismantled by DOGE and couldn’t be simply rebuilt.
Many CSOs that relied closely on USAID funding misplaced between 30 and 80 per cent of their assets, resulting in mass layoffs, workplace closures and collapsed partnerships. Fortuitously, the USA has a powerful custom of personal philanthropy amounting to round US$450 billion a yr, with over US$20 billion directed internationally. This non-public funding helps some organisations survive. Many at the moment are reorganising round non-public donors and getting ready for the chance that foundations themselves might turn out to be targets of future assaults.
Some CSOs are contemplating remodeling into companies to guard themselves. Others are combating again by way of lawsuits. Some are attempting to remain quiet within the hope of being ignored — not a wholesome technique, however an comprehensible one. For many, merely attempting to outlive has turn out to be the first focus.
What international implications are ensuing from these home developments?
World civil society has lengthy been vital of the USA, however there was nonetheless an assumption that it remained dedicated to the values of democracy, freedom and international cooperation. This assumption has now been shattered.
The US authorities is now not selling democracy overseas. As a substitute, it’s brazenly supporting authoritarian regimes and undermining civil society efforts worldwide. Each domestically and internationally, it’s actively proscribing impartial civic motion.
The dismantling of USAID alone will value tens of millions of lives. The USA as soon as offered round half of world humanitarian assets. With this pullback, we’re already witnessing mass deaths and rising dangers of famine. Important provides of medicines, together with HIV/AIDS remedies, are being minimize, placing tens of millions extra lives in danger.
Because the USA disengages and retreats from its international management position, it leaves a vacuum, more likely to be crammed by authoritarian powers reminiscent of China and Russia. They’ll attempt to reshape the worldwide system in ways in which threaten human rights and democratic values.
Lastly, the administration’s rhetoric about annexing Canada and seizing Greenland is eroding the post-Second World Warfare rules-based worldwide order, which was established particularly to stop territorial growth. By undermining these norms, the USA is successfully encouraging different authoritarian-leaning states to broaden by way of power.
How are individuals responding to those challenges?
As Trump’s authoritarianism intensifies, individuals are mobilising to defend democracy and resist repression. Three main protest actions have emerged: the broad-based ‘Palms Off’ motion towards fascism and in defence of democracy, scholar protests targeted on Gaza and Palestine and the rising resistance to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations.
Protesting towards ICE or in solidarity with Gaza has turn out to be more and more harmful. Residents could face critical prison fees merely for becoming a member of protests, and non-citizens danger jail and deportation. The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia illustrates this actuality: after residing in Maryland for 13 years and with authorized safety, he was forcibly deported to El Salvador.
Regardless of these dangers, as ICE steps up deportations, activists are taking steps to guard susceptible individuals. In some instances, they type human chains to dam ICE officers and assist individuals attain their properties, the place immigration brokers can’t enter with out authorized permission.
Individuals are combating again each within the streets and within the courts, difficult these injustices, pushing again towards escalating repression and defending elementary rights.
Do you see any hope for US democracy?
I consider that finally, Trump’s try to interrupt the US authorities and dismantle constitutional democracy will fail, for a number of causes.
First, we’re a rustic of impartial states, and states like California, Illinois and Massachusetts are actively resisting, combating in courts and passing their very own legal guidelines to guard their residents. This resistance comes at a price. The Trump administration has already threatened to chop all federal funding to Maine after its governor refused to observe the administration’s anti-diversity directives. To date, the courts have sided with Maine.
Trump has repeatedly bypassed Congress and violated the separation of powers. In response, CSOs, US states, unions, universities and residents have already filed over 150 lawsuits towards the federal authorities alleging breaches of the structure. These lawsuits are steadily transferring by way of the courts and to this point, the rulings have overwhelmingly gone towards the administration.
On the grassroots degree, every day protests proceed and continuously evolve. As a substitute of attempting to deliver tens of millions to Washington DC, the technique has shifted towards organising 1000’s of decentralised protests throughout the nation. After nationwide parks had been shut down, for instance, there have been 433 protests throughout each single nationwide park on the identical day. Actions like ‘Palms Off’ have mobilised tens of millions.
We’re studying from struggles in Hungary, Turkey, Ukraine and elsewhere. We now know that democracy can’t be taken without any consideration; it should be defended day by day. However we additionally know that our power lies in solidarity. Individuals are forming networks of resistance throughout the nation. We’ve got realised that if we stand alone, we could fail, however collectively, we will protect our democracy.
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