The first half-year of Donald Trump's second term is not even over, and the portents of democratic erosion are already stark. The president has moved to consolidate power, purging civil servants deemed disloyal, directing federal officials to flout adverse court rulings, and ordering the Justice Department to investigate political rivals. These moves have alarmed many Americans, who see their country's democracy as fundamentally in danger. Regrettably, their concerns aren't baseless. Even a long-established democracy can be undone'sometimes by a fairly elected leader. And yet, there is reason still to be hopeful; America is more resilient than many may fear. Unlike countries where democracy has recently unraveled, the United States displays at least six exceptional traits that are protecting it from the Trump-led assault: a robust network of advocacy groups, a powerful and independent judiciary, a constitutional system that makes executive preferences hard to entrench, a diverse and...
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