Actually, Democracy Dies in H.R.

1. 1. New research suggests that career pressures, rather than ideological extremism or fear, can motivate lower- and mid-level officials to support authoritarian regimes.
2. 2. A study of Argentina's Dirty War found that military officers with poor academic records and stalled careers disproportionately joined secret police units like Battalion 601.
3. 3. Would-be authoritarians often succeed by targeting "frustrated and mediocre" individuals, who become "loyal losers" willing to perform oppressive tasks for career advancement.
4. 4. Elected autocrats often appoint "loyal losers" to key positions early in their power consolidation, leveraging their limited career options to ensure compliance.
5. 5. In Hungary, a small percentage of ambitious judges facilitated Viktor Orban's agenda, while in Venezuela, the low-prestige National Guard and government-tied "colectivos" enforced repression.
6. 6. Political scientists express concern that President Trump's administration exhibits parallels with elected authoritarians by seeking political control over security services and appointing loyalists.
7. 7. Researchers Glassel and Scharpf warn that a planned expansion of ICE under President Trump could create an ideal "second ladder" for ambitious underperformers for anti-democratic purposes.
8. 8. The Trump administration's approach to ICE includes a drastically expanded budget, cuts to other federal jobs, assurances of "immunity" for officers, and significantly lowered training standards.