Since before President Trump was elected — and with greater frequency afterward — historians, political scientists and journalists have wondered how autocratic our democracy might become.
Here is some evidence of how the public sees it. Bright Line Watch, a consortium of political scientists formed after the 2016 election, just released a survey of 2000 voters that shows public faith in 27 key democratic principles — ranging from the independence of the judiciary to constitutional limits on executive power — has declined across the board. …
The release of the Bright Line survey comes at a moment when Trump has once again defied traditional norms and constraints concerning the treatment of political opponents. CONT.
Thomas Edsall, New York Times