As President Trump's administration nears its 100th day, the integrity of America's civic institutions is threatened, with many, except for a few prominent organizations, failing to collectively resist his exerted pressure. Trump isolates targets to undermine independent institutions that oppose him, employing tactics that intimidate private sectors and universities reliant on government support. The calculation for these institutions is stark; resisting brings concentrated costs while capitulation safeguards their interests, as seen in Harvard's defiance against Trump despite the risk to considerable federal funding. This raises concerns over the long-term stability of democracy in the face of such intimidation tactics.
Trumpâs key method is to, one by one, eliminate as many independent institutions as possible that are free enough to resist or criticize him.
Rather than collectively resist Trumpâs extortive tactics, companies from law firms to tech giants have sold out the long-term stability of a democratically governed free market.
The calculation is simple: Resisting entails concentrated costs to their organization and diffuse public benefits to American democracy, whereas capitulating transfers diffuse costs to American democracy.
On April 14, Harvard publicly rejected Trump administration demands for changes in university teaching, hiring and admission policies, risking up to $9 billion in grants.
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