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news Npr World 2026-05-13

Is the US Shifting Towards 'Competitive Authoritarianism'?

Some scholars suggest the US may no longer be a liberal democracy but is evolving into 'competitive authoritarianism,' a concept explaining the current political landscape.


What form of government do we have in America now? Some scholars say it is no longer liberal democracy, but "competitive authoritarianism." NPR's Frank Langfitt explains the term and its origin. <img alt="Hungary" src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6078x4052+0+0/resize/6078x4052!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F72%2F3c%2F7405c4a64ca79ae94d59f16ab71a%2Fgettyimages-2256946770.jpg" /><p>What form of government do we have in America now? Some schola...

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