Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
Online video conference on May 9 was hosted by American Community Media (ACOM), and several panelists explored the question of whether the United States is drifting toward authoritarianism. A new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll finds that 49% of respondents believe the new administration is expanding its authority, violating the rule of law and moving the nation away from its founding principles.
Lucan Ahmad Way, a professor at the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto, pointed out that the current situation in the United States is different from the rise of autocracies in other countries. He believes that the actions of the administration show a more rapid and drastic change, which is different from the slow and authoritarian path of most countries in the past that relied on legal reforms He emphasized that when government leaders challenge the rule of law, it not only damages the independence of the judiciary, but may also endanger the overall democratic system.
Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, a law professor at the City University of New York (CUNY), pointed out that there have been many constitutional crises in the past when the United States dealt with the rights of African Americans and other marginalized groups. She emphasized that the new administration’s policies, especially on the rights of immigrants, refugees and other minority groups, show clear authoritarian tendencies. She warned that when governments violate basic human rights of certain groups, this behavior can expand and ultimately threaten the rights and freedoms of all members of society.
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