World Peace

On scale of 1 out of 5 with 5 being most likely, how likely is Trump using Project 2025 to turn the United States authoritarian?

GoogleAI Mode: “Many political analysts and legal experts believe there is a high likelihood (rated as 4 to 5 out of 5) that the full implementation of Project 2025, combined with Donald Trump’s stated intentions, would fundamentally erode democratic checks and balances and move the United States toward an authoritarian system. 

Key concerns raised by experts include:

• Expansion of Presidential Power: The project relies on the “unitary executive theory,” which asserts broad, almost unlimited, presidential control over the entire executive branch. This would place independent agencies like the FCC, FTC, and others under direct presidential authority, effectively dismantling their non-partisan functions.
• Politicizing the Civil Service: The plan includes reinstating “Schedule F,” a policy to reclassify tens of thousands of civil servant jobs as political appointments. Critics argue this would replace non-partisan experts with loyalists, weakening government effectiveness and accountability to law rather than to a single ideology.
• Weaponizing the Justice Department: The blueprint proposes ending the independence of the Department of Justice and the FBI, giving the president the power to direct investigations and prosecutions. This raises fears of the government being used to target political opponents and shield allies from accountability, a hallmark of autocracies.
• Undermining the Rule of Law: Proposals that circumvent congressional power, such as the use of presidential impoundment to control federal funds and the dismissal of long-standing democratic norms, are seen as direct attacks on the separation of powers.
• Global Precedents: Experts often point to the democratic backsliding in countries like Hungary and Turkey, where similar tactics were used to consolidate power, as a warning for the United States. 

While some conservative advocates argue the project is merely a collection of policy recommendations designed to make the executive branch more effective and accountable, the consensus among many non-partisan and left-leaning analysts is that the cumulative effect of these changes represents a significant threat to American democracy.”