LIQUID AUTHORITARIANISM AND THE RHETORIC OF EXCEPTION: A PHILOSOPHICO AND LEGAL ANALYSIS OF CARL SCHMITT’S THOUGHT IN CONTEMPORARY U.S. POLITICS

Abstract

This article examines the connections between Schmitt's theory of the state of exception and the phenomenon of contemporary authoritarianism, particularly in the recent American political context. Through analyzing statements and political measures adopted during the Trump administration (2017-2021) and in his second term beginning in 2025, the persistence and adaptation of theoretical elements formulated by Carl Schmitt to the political context of the 21st century are demonstrated. It is argued that, far from constituting a mere historical remnant, the Schmittian theoretical framework presents itself as an essential analytical tool for understanding the processes of democratic erosion underway in Western democracies. To this end, we mobilize the concept of Liquid Authoritarianism proposed by Serrano, which identifies the transition from traditional dictatorships of exception to regimes that employ specific and fragmentary exception measures, preserving a formal veneer of legality while materially emptying the content of democratic constitutions. The methodology employed is qualitative, with critical bibliographic review and documentary analysis of political statements, judicial decisions, and recent administrative measures. The results indicate that, contrary to the common perception that consolidated democracies would be immune to authoritarian processes, even the United States, traditionally considered a bulwark of liberal democracy, shows worrying signs of sliding into authoritarian practices that find theoretical foundation, albeit not explicitly recognized, in Schmitt's conceptions about the role of the sovereign and the suspension of the legal order in the name of national salvation.