Democracy scholar Daniel Ziblatt views the American Democrats’ landslide victory in the midterm elections as a “clean slate” or a fresh start. According to the Harvard professor, there is now an opportunity to build something better. However, he also warned about the immense power that President Donald Trump still wields, particularly through his veto rights in the legislative process.
Ziblatt described the Republicans’ defeat as a significant blow to the MAGA wing within the party. His influence within his own party is expected to wane, potentially allowing Democrats and Republicans to jointly challenge Trump on issues such as the Iran war.
Ziblatt asserted that US democracy is more resilient than many other systems globally. He noted that Trump had shifted the competitive landscape in favor of the Republicans through several measures, such as gerrymandering. Nevertheless, the Democrats were able to win because US Americans strongly rejected Trumpism.
Looking ahead, Ziblatt is advocating for reforms. He believes the wealthy should no longer have such an excessive influence on politics, and he also criticized the current system where Americans do not elect their president directly but through an electoral college.
Ziblatt is the co-author of the widely translated book, “How Democracies Die”, which he published in 2018 with Steven Levitsky.
