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Capitulating to populism: how American institutions enabled authoritarian drift
Martin Mckee1, Christina Pagel2
1PHP, Department of Health Services Research and Policy, https://ror.org/00a0jsq62London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK.
Health Economics, Policy, and Law
|June 22, 2026
Summary
Many institutions, including universities and corporations, capitulated to populist authoritarianism despite threats. This study shows institutions are active agents vulnerable to manipulation but capable of resistance, highlighting the need for cultivated democratic commitment.
Area of Science:
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Legal Studies
Background:
- Populist authoritarianism poses a threat to democratic institutions.
- Universities faced funding and autonomy challenges under Donald Trump's administration.
- Legal and corporate sectors also exhibited responses to authoritarian pressures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore institutional capitulation to populist authoritarianism in the US.
- To analyze the responses of universities, legal professions, and corporations.
- To situate these responses within broader patterns of democratic backsliding.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of institutional responses to authoritarianism.
- Drawing on contemporary and historical examples.
- Examining vulnerability to legal manipulation, financial coercion, and ideological alignment.
Main Results:
- Many universities capitulated despite threats to funding and autonomy.
- Powerful actors in the legal and corporate sectors also showed complicity or silence.
- Institutions demonstrated vulnerability but also instances of resistance, such as through litigation.
Conclusions:
- Institutions are active agents, not passive structures, in the face of authoritarianism.
- Democratic commitment requires active cultivation, ethical leadership, and willingness to incur costs.
- Ongoing engagement is crucial for preserving democracy against backsliding.
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