What if the united states was a dictatorship that had a high approval rating amongst the US population?
What if the united states was a dictatorship that had a high approval rating amongst the US population?
Some might think the 1960's or even now might be grounds for such. However the democratic superstructure of the country is I believe too robust to fall to tyranny. Remember millions thought Obama a tyrant now liberals think the same of #45. Neither was or is true,....it's just politics. An American fascist or communist style tyranny would take a pod at the turn of the 20th century,...perhaps earlier, to even begin to happen.When? While a historical framework can be constructed for any country becoming a dictatorship, it does depend on a great deal of factors, what era being perhaps the very first criteria.
As for popular, well contemporary versions of "bread and circuses" could work for a while, or worse techniques.
Actually, it doesn't need a whole lot to get high approval ratings, just a sufficient degree of stability. I can attest to that, having been around some modern examples. "Law and Order" is more than cliched refrain.
POD 1945 might be the only possibility, but a President Truman would not stand for it. Maybe a feeble FDR living a couple of more years, followed by a figurehead VP?IMO, American is too ornery and constitutional for a genuine dictatorship. At the same time, America might be complacent and constitutional enough for a quasi-dictatorship. Like if the Democrats and Republicans merged at some point and used their combined political machines to game the system at the expense of third (or I guess second) parties.
You see, I actually managed to create a de facto dictatorship in America in my TL:
https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...onic-france-after-the-peace-of-vienna.453576/Link please, I want to read it.
Or one can control what the constitution says by controlling the SCOTUS.And what if the President were a duck? How do we get there? The Constitution is almost dictator-proof, so it would have to be amended or abolished, and both of those are tough sells.
Or one can control what the constitution says by controlling the SCOTUS.
very greatThis is gonna turn current politics real fast
On a serious note, you'd need a pretty serious POD for this to happen. An idea I had was this:
George S. Patton's driver looks up in time, swerving out of the way of an oncoming military truck in December of 1945. Patton stays in command of Seventh Army and Governor of the American occupation zones of Germany. Patton controversially receives his fifth star in 1946. Similarly to OTL, the relations between the Soviets and Americans begin to deteriorate shortly after the war. Under Patton's governorship of American-occupied Germany, this only gets worse. In 1948, Patton was reported to refer to Marshal Sokolovsky as a "red son of a bitch" during a meeting with British military brass. Word of this reached Moscow and the Soviet government denounced General Patton.
The Berlin Airlift takes place following the blockade of Berlin, starting in June of 1948. Both the Americans and the Soviets despise each other at this point. In August of 1948, the Soviets begin shooting down American aircraft. General Patton orders tanks to move along the border of Soviet-occupied Germany. The Soviets take this as provocation and on August 11, 1948, combat breaks out. President Truman dismisses General Patton shortly after Soviet and American soldiers engage each other, but it was too late. War with the Soviet Union had already started.
British and French units were called to move east to help stop the Soviet's advance into Western Europe. The war was a stalemate until New Years, when the Soviet Union pushed American forces out of Wolfsburg in January 1949. After a defeat at Wolfsburg, the Western Allies began to recruit German forces to fight off the Red Army. The situation for the Allies continued to deteriorate as they were pushed across the Elbe and Hamburg was besieged in June. Following the fall of Hamburg, the Allies continued to lose their hold on Germany and the Jutland Peninsula was occupied by the Red Army. By the winter of 1949, the Soviet Union has pushed the Western Allies across the Rhine. The Americans, with the aid of British, French, and Italian forces, launch an offensive code-named Operation Surge. The goal of Operation Surge would be to launch several attacks on Soviet positions in Bremen, Cologne, Essen, Bonn, and Frankfurt, with heavy air and naval support. Operation Surge was an initial success, with the Western Allies crossing back into the Rhine and the U.S. Marines successfully taking Bremen. However, disaster struck in March of 1950. On March 8, 1950, the Soviet Union dropped their first two atomic bombs on the cities of Bremen and Antwerp. The next day, the United States dropped three atomic bombs on Leningrad, Minsk, and Warsaw. The news of the Soviet's atomic capabilities led to a serious drop in morale with the Western Allies as the war grew increasingly unpopular and more destructive. As the Western Allies concentrated their forces in France and Italy, the Soviets dropped another bomb onto Paris, while another atomic bomb was detonated five miles off the coast of Ostend (the bomber was shot down and presumed to be targeting London). The Spring of 1950 saw to the destruction of more cities, namely London, Brighton, Lyon, Genoa, Kiev, Lublin, and Kaliningrad (Konigsberg). The war would end in early 1951, with the Iron Curtain stretching as far east as France.
The harsh defeat and the brutal nature of the war shook the American public's view on politics. The fear of communism grew stronger and became wrapped in anger and revenge. President Truman would forgo a third term and he was succeeded by Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy entered office with majorities in the House and Senate and pledged to combat communism "in every corner of our Earth." The Congress passed the "Anti-American Sedition Act," which granted looser powers to target citizens suspected of working with or supporting the Soviet Union. Many criticized this new law as unconstitutional, but the rampant fear of communism made most of the public look the other way. McCarthy's administration also passed the "Presidential Enforcement Act," which expanded the powers of the Presidency, namely with the usage of executive orders. The Presidency soon became a de facto supreme office, with Congress and the Supreme Court serving as mere subordinates. By the end of the 50s, American democracy and freedom was virtually dead, and the world pitted between two autocratic superpowers.
You can make a timeline out of this.This is gonna turn current politics real fast
On a serious note, you'd need a pretty serious POD for this to happen. An idea I had was this:
George S. Patton's driver looks up in time, swerving out of the way of an oncoming military truck in December of 1945. Patton stays in command of Seventh Army and Governor of the American occupation zones of Germany. Patton controversially receives his fifth star in 1946. Similarly to OTL, the relations between the Soviets and Americans begin to deteriorate shortly after the war. Under Patton's governorship of American-occupied Germany, this only gets worse. In 1948, Patton was reported to refer to Marshal Sokolovsky as a "red son of a bitch" during a meeting with British military brass. Word of this reached Moscow and the Soviet government denounced General Patton.
The Berlin Airlift takes place following the blockade of Berlin, starting in June of 1948. Both the Americans and the Soviets despise each other at this point. In August of 1948, the Soviets begin shooting down American aircraft. General Patton orders tanks to move along the border of Soviet-occupied Germany. The Soviets take this as provocation and on August 11, 1948, combat breaks out. President Truman dismisses General Patton shortly after Soviet and American soldiers engage each other, but it was too late. War with the Soviet Union had already started.
British and French units were called to move east to help stop the Soviet's advance into Western Europe. The war was a stalemate until New Years, when the Soviet Union pushed American forces out of Wolfsburg in January 1949. After a defeat at Wolfsburg, the Western Allies began to recruit German forces to fight off the Red Army. The situation for the Allies continued to deteriorate as they were pushed across the Elbe and Hamburg was besieged in June. Following the fall of Hamburg, the Allies continued to lose their hold on Germany and the Jutland Peninsula was occupied by the Red Army. By the winter of 1949, the Soviet Union has pushed the Western Allies across the Rhine. The Americans, with the aid of British, French, and Italian forces, launch an offensive code-named Operation Surge. The goal of Operation Surge would be to launch several attacks on Soviet positions in Bremen, Cologne, Essen, Bonn, and Frankfurt, with heavy air and naval support. Operation Surge was an initial success, with the Western Allies crossing back into the Rhine and the U.S. Marines successfully taking Bremen. However, disaster struck in March of 1950. On March 8, 1950, the Soviet Union dropped their first two atomic bombs on the cities of Bremen and Antwerp. The next day, the United States dropped three atomic bombs on Leningrad, Minsk, and Warsaw. The news of the Soviet's atomic capabilities led to a serious drop in morale with the Western Allies as the war grew increasingly unpopular and more destructive. As the Western Allies concentrated their forces in France and Italy, the Soviets dropped another bomb onto Paris, while another atomic bomb was detonated five miles off the coast of Ostend (the bomber was shot down and presumed to be targeting London). The Spring of 1950 saw to the destruction of more cities, namely London, Brighton, Lyon, Genoa, Kiev, Lublin, and Kaliningrad (Konigsberg). The war would end in early 1951, with the Iron Curtain stretching as far east as France.
The harsh defeat and the brutal nature of the war shook the American public's view on politics. The fear of communism grew stronger and became wrapped in anger and revenge. President Truman would forgo a third term and he was succeeded by Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy entered office with majorities in the House and Senate and pledged to combat communism "in every corner of our Earth." The Congress passed the "Anti-American Sedition Act," which granted looser powers to target citizens suspected of working with or supporting the Soviet Union. Many criticized this new law as unconstitutional, but the rampant fear of communism made most of the public look the other way. McCarthy's administration also passed the "Presidential Enforcement Act," which expanded the powers of the Presidency, namely with the usage of executive orders. The Presidency soon became a de facto supreme office, with Congress and the Supreme Court serving as mere subordinates. By the end of the 50s, American democracy and freedom was virtually dead, and the world pitted between two autocratic superpowers.
I have a Google Doc about this, this is actually how I plan on creating the world of 1984, but with some twists thrown in.You can make a timeline out of this.