The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 15/12/2025We need to be clear-eyed about where American democracy stands right now. Experts who study authoritarian consolidation globally agree: we’ve already crossed the threshold into what they call “competitive authoritarianism.” 🧵 100
The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 15/12/2025Competitive authoritarianism isn’t the strongman dictatorships or the one-party states history. Elections continue. Opposition parties exist. Courts still function. But the state apparatus is systematically weaponized against opponents, and the playing field is tilted to entrench executive control. 100
The 22nd Century Initiative @22ci.bsky.social · 15/12/2025The pattern is clear and follows an authoritarian playbook we’ve seen globally. Executive overreach through governance by decree. Politicized control of the civil service. Targeting perceived opponents through IRS investigations and regulatory agencies. 100
