New Books Network Is the U.S. helping speed up its own decline? with Damon Linker
Sep 8, 2025
Damon Linker, a political scholar from the University of Pennsylvania, dives into a thought-provoking analysis of American democracy and its global standing. He discusses how Trump’s administration might be accelerating the decline of democratic values and challenging political norms. The conversation examines shifts in U.S. foreign policy and the influence of right-wing thinkers, including the complex philosophies of Strauss and Schmitt. Linker raises critical questions about the balance between authoritarian impulses and democratic principles in today’s political landscape.
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Executive Power Over Expertise
- Damon Linker argues the Trump movement seeks to dismantle the postwar administrative state in favor of raw executive freedom.
- That shift diminishes America's global leadership by privileging unilateral action over alliances and expertise.
Freedom Not Restraint
- 'Restraint' for MAGA often means freedom of action for a singular leader rather than genuine non-intervention.
- Linker warns this is not prudential restraint but an authoritarian idea of greatness centered on unilateral decision-making.
Schmitt's Emergency Logic
- Carl Schmitt's 'state of exception' legitimizes emergency rule and opened a path to dictatorship in Weimar Germany.
- Strauss engaged Schmitt's insight but criticized his embrace of decisionism and potential for abuse.
