The death knell of American democracy 

As the 2024 presidential election grows closer by the day and polls predict a hotly contested race, more Americans are beginning to wonder what another four years of Donald Trump would look like for America. For those worrying about the worst-case scenario to come from this next election, fear not, for it has been revealed to the world. What I’m casually referring to is entitled Project 2025, a comprehensive policy plan which leading Republican think-tank The Heritage Foundation has created for a Trump presidency. This is the most dangerous threat to American democracy packaged neatly in one 940-page book.  

Where does Project 2025 come from, and who and what is The Heritage Foundation? They are without a doubt, one of the strongest forces in national politics that most people have never heard of. The masterminds behind many of Ronald Reagan’s policy decisions, The Heritage Foundation has been a powerhouse for conservative strategy for the past 50 years. In both the Reagan and Trump administrations, they proudly claim the adoption of around two-thirds of their policy recommendations and the installation of many of their experts in high government positions. Although in previous years they stood for a perhaps traditional brand of principled fiscal conservatism, they have now felt the changing tides of the GOP under Trump and are seeking to institutionalize his authoritarian brand in the federal government for decades to come. 

This is where Project 2025 comes into play. Project 2025’s main goal of greatly empowering a Trump presidency begins with a plan to replace a large portion of the current bureaucracy with single-minded Trump loyalists, who are screened to have no reservations about doing whatever it takes to move his policy forward. This plan would also exponentially increase the amount of positions which are subject to his whims, a combination which would allow him more control over the federal bureaucracy than previous presidents could dream of. In terms of direct control, the plan seeks to give Trump direct control over many governmental agencies, such as the Federal Communications Commission and (much more frighteningly) the Department of Justice. Those that are not potentially or have harmed him in the past will be drastically defunded, such as the FBI. When these two examples are taken into consideration with his vow to invoke the Insurrection Act and broader efforts to replace Department of Defense and other high military ranking officials with his sycophants, it paints a dangerous picture of a future in which the military forces are no longer able to resist his anti-democratic designs and all the forces made to create accountability are dead in the water.  

All of what I’m describing is not a secret, although it seems like only political junkies really know or care about it; what’s happening here is out in the open and very serious. This is also not at all an exhaustive list of the goals of Project 2025, as it truly encompasses every area of conservative policy and seeks to give  Trump unfettered control over as much as possible. Maybe in the past we assumed that this man was a lot of hot air, spouting off whatever got him attention without the intention or ability to carry it through. The reality is, though, he has the will, the ability, the support and clearly outlined plans to take over the government and transform it into something this nation has never seen before. Any hope for progress in this country over the course of the next few decades is going to become that much more difficult in the face of an extreme authoritarian regime.  

Young people especially stand at the precipice of a brand new era for America. If you’re my age,  Trump has already been the preeminent political figure for most of your adult life, but these next four years could take that to a new extreme. Is it still possible to work for reform in this new era from within the federal government? Will civil service still be a viable career choice for those who aren’t entirely devoted to serving Donald Trump? Is it still possible to join the military without signing up to go against your own people and constitution? For my fellow political science students interested in the intelligence community or becoming “progressive prosecutors,” is this really possible anymore without becoming an arm of an authoritarian regime? My answer to all these questions is, if Project 2025 is carried out to its full potential (which is very likely), no.  

Pay attention, because this is our future and it is coming much faster and much more quietly than people are seeing right now.