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USAID och maktförskjutning – Om lojalitet, retorik och statlig nedmontering i USA:s nya politiska landskap

Wigren, Alexandra LU (2025) STVM20 20251
Department of Political Science
Abstract (Swedish)
This thesis investigates how authoritarian leaders justify the restructuring of state institutions and the dismissal of bureaucratic officials, with a focus on the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under President Trump's second administration. By applying a critical discourse analysis of two policy documents: an executive order and a memorandum, the study explores the linguistic and ideological strategies used to legitimize executive aggrandizement. Nancy Bermeo’s theory on democratic backsliding provides the theoretical framework, highlighting how seemingly legal instruments can be used to erode democratic institutions from within. The analysis reveals how the administration constructs a crisis... (More)
This thesis investigates how authoritarian leaders justify the restructuring of state institutions and the dismissal of bureaucratic officials, with a focus on the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under President Trump's second administration. By applying a critical discourse analysis of two policy documents: an executive order and a memorandum, the study explores the linguistic and ideological strategies used to legitimize executive aggrandizement. Nancy Bermeo’s theory on democratic backsliding provides the theoretical framework, highlighting how seemingly legal instruments can be used to erode democratic institutions from within. The analysis reveals how the administration constructs a crisis narrative to delegitimize foreign aid, centralizes authority around presidential will, and frames opposition as morally and ideologically deviant. Furthermore, the research uncovers how technocratic language masks ideological motives and enables institutional change without formal legal reform. The results demonstrate a strategic use of discourse to normalize authoritarian measures, reframe democratic norms, and weaponize bureaucracy. The study concludes that dismantling USAID is not only a domestic governance issue, but also part of a broader trend of autocratisation with significant global implications for democracy support and international aid. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Wigren, Alexandra LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVM20 20251
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
autokratisering, executive aggrandisement, USAID, bistånd, Trump, democratic backsliding
language
Swedish
id
9189497
date added to LUP
2025-08-08 11:27:12
date last changed
2025-08-08 11:27:12
@misc{9189497,
  abstract     = {{This thesis investigates how authoritarian leaders justify the restructuring of state institutions and the dismissal of bureaucratic officials, with a focus on the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under President Trump's second administration. By applying a critical discourse analysis of two policy documents: an executive order and a memorandum, the study explores the linguistic and ideological strategies used to legitimize executive aggrandizement. Nancy Bermeo’s theory on democratic backsliding provides the theoretical framework, highlighting how seemingly legal instruments can be used to erode democratic institutions from within. The analysis reveals how the administration constructs a crisis narrative to delegitimize foreign aid, centralizes authority around presidential will, and frames opposition as morally and ideologically deviant. Furthermore, the research uncovers how technocratic language masks ideological motives and enables institutional change without formal legal reform. The results demonstrate a strategic use of discourse to normalize authoritarian measures, reframe democratic norms, and weaponize bureaucracy. The study concludes that dismantling USAID is not only a domestic governance issue, but also part of a broader trend of autocratisation with significant global implications for democracy support and international aid.}},
  author       = {{Wigren, Alexandra}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{USAID och maktförskjutning – Om lojalitet, retorik och statlig nedmontering i USA:s nya politiska landskap}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}