Project 2025 and backsliding

 What is Project 2025 

There has been a lot of discussion recently about "project 2025" and what it is, and what it means for the US. 

If you are unaware, 'Project 2025' is a proposal laid out by the Heritage Foundation, a think tank group which has bolstered conservative policy for the United States. 

The document lays out four key points where they would like to 'correct' US policy. "Restore the family as the centrepiece of American life; dismantle the administrative state; defend the nation's sovereignty and borders; and secure God-given individual rights to live freely."

Within the document, it goes further into detail about what this entails such as, a nationwide abortion ban, more power to the president (removing some separations of power and centralising it to the president,) banning 'pornography' and any social media sites that spread it, and eliminating terms such as "reproductive rights," "gender equality" and, "sexual orientation" from all federal laws and regulations. 

Would it result in backsliding? 

If project 2025 were to become enacted it would be a form of backsliding for the United States. 

Using some examples of questions from the freedom house we can see how the US would fail these. 

Are there free and independent media?

• The US would fail to meet criteria here if social media sites which encourage and platform spreading of pornography were banned. (as this could apply many/all social media sites) 

Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free from extensive political indoctrination?

• Academic freedom would be greatly reduced due to the persecution of teacher/librarians who share any material related to LGBT individuals (this is included as pornography in the report)
• This level of book banning and repression of education can be counted as political indoctrination.
• The document lays out they would not teach abortion healthcare or how to do abortions to medical students. 

Are individuals free to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution?

• See above 

Do individuals enjoy personal social freedoms, including choice of marriage partner and size of family, protection from domestic violence, and control over appearance?

• Same-Sex marriage would be under threat 

Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population?

• A complete ban on abortion would put women and doctors seeking life saving care at a risk of persecution. Abortion bans are directed at women and their safety, meaning women would not have equal treatment within healthcare, and thus the law.  

Should we be concerned? 

The large fear surrounding project 2025 is that it will go into motion if Trump regains the presidency at the upcoming elections. However, Trump has denounced project 2025 and claims to have nothing to do with it. While he may not have had a hand in creating the document, a vast majority of the people involved have a strong connection to Trump and the white house, leaving many concerned that it will go into motion. 

I do think that project 2025, an otherwise irrelevant thinktank piece, would've gone relatively unnoticed if it hadn't been projected across social media by left-leaning individuals to cause concern and potentially sway some people to voting democrats. 

All of the things included in project 2025 are obviously of concern, and would result in horrific things for the people of the US if they were enacted, the way it is spoken about does come across as fear-mongering in a sense. There is no evidence of republican policy to reflect the extreme views in policy changes set out in Project 2025. While a Trump presidency regardless will have negative outcomes for women, lgbt, and poor people, the effects won't be seen as strongly as if Project 2025 did come into action. 

We should aim to protect minorities, but I dont think giving people further anxiety about their future will help. 

We should be concerned that these dystopian ideas have any form of validity in a liberal democracy, as these ideas are backwards and against all movements towards progression and equality, but I wouldn't live in fear that these things will happen in the circumstances that Trump regains presidency.

If you would like an accessible and in depth view of project 2025 here is a link to a youtube video by Legal Eagle where he discusses it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQcL0t73O5Y 

References 

https://freedomhouse.org/country/united-states/freedom-world/2024

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c977njnvq2do