Trump’s victory leaves U.S. allies wondering: Will the U.S. remain a liberal democracy?

Julian Zelizer : The rise of autocratic regimes across the world has put democrats on high alert.

He says the defense of democratic norms in the U.S. will depend on the actions of other leaders of government and society in Congress , the civil service, the armed forces and local police, business, civic institutions, and perhaps most of all, the courts.

Zelizer asks: Will a Trump presidency demand more burden-sharing from them?.

Julian Zelizer : Brazil 's right-wing populist strongman Jair Bolsonaro sought to undermine the country’s democratic institutions after his election as president in 2018 but narrowly lost his bid for reelection in 2022 .

Zelizer says the results of this “year of elections” have until now been mixed in their implications for democracy, but they have offered many glimmers of hope.

He says all eyes remained trained on the U.S. election as the most important indicator of global democracy's future.

Julian Zelizer : A tenth of voters who said they were “very concerned” that a Trump presidency would “bring the U.S. closer to authoritarianism” a tenth of them also voted for him anyway, Zelizer says.

He says when voters elect authoritarian-minded leaders for instrumental reasons, they typically get the baggage of revenge, intimidation, and lust for power that accompanies their candidates’ policy promises.

If Trump comes close to fulfilling his campaign pledges and following through on the plains laid out in his allies’ Project 2025 , the United States will see the most intense assault on checks and balances and civil liberties in its peacetime history.