Trump's Localized Authoritarianism Through Sheriffs
TLDR
In the article "The Patrimonial Style in American Politics Could Spread Under Trump," published by The New Republic, Alan Elrod warns that former President Donald Trump's leadership embodies a patrimonial governance style, prioritizing personal loyalty, nepotism, and patronage over democratic norms and institutional integrity. Elrod argues that a second Trump presidency could further entrench authoritarian practices, weaken institutional checks, and spread this governance model across local and national levels, threatening the foundations of American democracy.
Alan Elrod explores how Donald Trump's leadership reflects a patrimonial style of governance, a concept rooted in sociologist Max Weber's theory of rulers treating the state as their personal property. During his first term, Trump frequently prioritized loyalty over merit, appointing close family members like Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner to influential roles and demanding personal loyalty from government officials. This approach disregarded established institutional norms and blurred the lines between public service and personal allegiance.
Elrod raised a significant concern about the influence of the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, which outlines a strategy to restructure the federal government by replacing career civil servants with political loyalists. This effort weakens institutional checks and balances, making the executive branch more susceptible to authoritarian control. This systemic restructuring mirrors authoritarian models in countries like Russia and Hungary, where state institutions are hollowed out and loyalty to the leader becomes paramount.
Elrod parallels Trump's leadership and the constitutional sheriff movement in the U.S., where local sheriffs claim supreme authority within their jurisdictions, often acting with minimal oversight. This decentralized, loyalty-driven form of governance allows for nepotism, corruption, and unchecked power at the local level. Trump's endorsement of similar tactics at the national scale poses a grave risk to democratic accountability and the rule of law.
The article warns that Trump's influence could normalize localized authoritarianism, exploiting the federal system to spread patrimonial practices. Empowered local officials, especially in rural areas, could mimic Trump's leadership style, prioritizing personal loyalty and political alignment over lawful governance. This erosion of democratic norms could lead to widespread corruption, reduced oversight, and the concentration of power in the hands of unaccountable leaders.
Concluding Reflections
Alan Elrod's analysis in The New Republic highlights how Donald Trump's patrimonial governance style threatens the foundations of American democracy. By prioritizing personal loyalty and embracing strategies that weaken institutional checks, Trump has already eroded trust in democratic institutions. If these patterns intensify in a second term, they could fundamentally reshape the U.S. government, spreading authoritarian practices from the federal level to local governance structures.
Source:
Alan Elrod, "The Patrimonial Style in American Poxlitics Could Spread Under Trump," The New Republic, 2024.
