Democrats Need a Midterm Landslide to Reverse Trump-Era Democratic Decline

According to the Varieties of Democracy Institute’s 2026 Democracy Report, the United States is experiencing its steepest decline in liberal democracy in six decades, driven largely by President Donald Trump’s unprecedented use of executive power—225 orders in 2025 while a Republican-controlled Congress passed only 49 minor statutes. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which promotes a unitary-executive theory, is reported to be more than halfway complete, aided by recent Supreme Court decisions.

Trump is also pursuing election-control measures, including extreme gerrymandering and voter-restriction policies that could invalidate Democratic victories in tightly contested House districts. The article draws a parallel to Hungary’s recent popular backlash, suggesting a massive voter turnout could overcome such obstacles, yet notes the United States lacks a charismatic opposition figure comparable to Hungary’s Péter Magyar. With Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and other Democratic candidates viewed as weak, the piece warns that without a sweeping midterm win, the erosion of democratic norms may persist.