Is the U.S. slipping into 'Competitive Authoritarianism?'

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. slipping into 'Competitive Authoritarianism? ' May 13, 20265:00 AM ET Frank Langfitt Hungary's then-Prime Minister Viktor Orban shakes hands with President Trump At the "Board of Peace" meeting during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on January 22. Fabrice Coffrini/ via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Fabrice Coffrini/ via Getty Images What kind of political system do we have in America these days?

Some experts say the United States is no longer a liberal democracy, but operating under a system called "competitive authoritarianism. " For this installment of NPR's Word of the Week, we explore the term's origin story and how it is being applied in a way those who came up with it never imagined. If you're not familiar with the term, here is a basic definition: Competitive authoritarian countries have democratic rules and hold competitive elections, but the party in charge uses various tactics to tilt the electoral playing field in its favor to maintain power.

The Details

Sponsor Message Word of the week Do you say 'wash' or 'warsh? ' Here's where the pronunciation comes from Steven Levitsky, a professor of government at Harvard who helped come up with the concept, explained it last year on NPR member station WAMU's show, 1A. "Elected authoritarians, when they come to power, try to convert the state, which is supposed to be a neutral arbiter, into both a weapon and a shield," said Levitsky, who co-authored the book How Democracies Die.

"It's a weapon to be deployed against political rivals, and it is a shield to protect themselves and to protect their allies who engage in authoritarian or illegal behavior. " Levitsky says Trump's pardoning of the people convicted in the January 6, 2021 assault on the U. Capitol is a prime example.

Competitive authoritarianism is a pretty new term. Levitsky and Lucan Way – now a professor at the University of Toronto – came up with it in 2002 to describe systems in countries such as Serbia, Kenya and Peru. "We never – when we coined this term 25 years ago – never imagined that we would apply it to the United States," said Levitsky.

LAPD officers arrest a protester dressed as Lady Liberty in chains following clashes near the Metropolitan Detention Center during the "No Kings" national day of protest in Los Angeles on March 28, 2026. Etienne Laurent/ via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Etienne Laurent/ via Getty Images But Levitsky says Trump is following a familiar playbook crafted by leaders such as former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "When we began to see the Justice Department go after people who were public critics of Trump, when we began to see lawsuits against (the) media or attacks on universities that are viewed as critical of the government," said Levitsky, "all these things are raising the cost of opposition.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.