KQED's Forum How Trump Redefined the Power of the Presidency One Year Into Second Term
Jan 15, 2026
Steven Levitsky, a Harvard political scientist specializing in authoritarianism, and Vikram Amar, a constitutional law expert at UC Davis, delve into how Trump has redefined presidential power. They discuss the legal gray areas Trump has exploited and the concerning rise of partisanship that allows such actions to go unchecked. Levitsky highlights the dangers to democracy from Trump's maximalist mindset, while Amar calls for either constitutional reform or re-empowering Congress to restore balance. Together, they explore the implications of these shifts for the future of American governance.
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A Fourfold Framework For Presidential Actions
- Vikram Amar frames Trump's actions into categories: lawful-but-awful, constitutionally preposterous, aggressive-but-allowed, and constitutionally improper but unenforceable.
- This taxonomy shows legal limits often fail to restrain politically damaging executive behavior.
Legal Gray Zones Can Still Undermine Democracy
- Steven Levitsky warns the administration exploits legal gray zones to damage universities, civil society, and democracy even when acts may be constitutional.
- He stresses distinction between legality and democratic harm matters for long-term institutional health.
Partisan Targeting Makes Abuses Worse
- Levitsky highlights both qualitative and quantitative differences from past abuses: today's violations are systematic, partisan, and often go unpunished.
- He views targeted partisan abuse as especially corrosive compared with earlier, less partisan violations.
