Source: Persuasion
by Emily Chamlee-Wright
“Imagine you’re a contestant on a new gameshow. Let’s call it ‘The Future of American Democracy.’ The lights dim. A booming voice announces the stakes. You, the voter, must choose between two sealed doors. Behind each lies a prospective future. There is no third door. Pick wisely. Door #1: A Democrat occupies the Oval Office, committed to reversing the Trump Administration’s legacy. Given the expansion of executive power in recent years, the new president’s authority is largely unconstrained. … Door #2: A MAGA-aligned figure sits in the White House, eager to extend Trump’s protectionist policies and anti-immigrant, culture war agenda. But rather than enjoying expanded executive powers, the president is hemmed in by institutional guardrails. … The right answer, the responsible answer, is Door #2. And the reason is painfully simple: in a republic worth preserving, rules matter more than rulers.” (08/12/25)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/rules-matter-more-than-rulers