WASHINGTON, D.C. — Professor of government Steven Levitsky said the United States under President Trump exhibits the traits of competitive authoritarianism, a term he and Lucan Way coined in 2002 to describe political systems in Serbia, Kenya and Peru. The application of the concept to the U.S. was not something Levitsky had anticipated.

"We never—when we coined this term 25 years ago—never imagined that we would apply it to the United States," he said. Levitsky and Way initially referred to the concept as "Contested Autocracy." Harvard professor Timothy Colton misremembered the concept as "competitive authoritarianism," leading Way to adopt the term.

Competitive authoritarian countries have democratic rules and hold competitive elections, but the party in charge uses various tactics to tilt the electoral playing field in its favor to maintain power. Levitsky described how leaders in such systems use government institutions to their advantage.

"Elected authoritarians, when they come to power, try to convert the state, which is supposed to be a neutral arbiter, into both a weapon and a shield. It's a weapon to be deployed against political rivals, and it is a shield to protect themselves and to protect their allies who engage in authoritarian or illegal behavior," he said.

Since Trump took office in 2025, Google Trends searches for competitive authoritarianism have increased. The term has appeared in publications including the Ventura County Star, The Scotsman and The Indian Express. Trump pardoned the people convicted in the January 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol. Citizens have continued to protest and criticize the president and his policies online and on the streets.

"I don't like a dictator. I'm not a dictator," Trump said.

Outside the United States, the framework has been applied to other governments. Viktor Orbán served 16 years as Prime Minister of Hungary. In April 2026, a unified opposition swept Orbán's party in a landslide.