{
  "id": 8361922,
  "title": "The Contract on America",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/the-contract-on-america",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-19T02:00:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hacker News",
    "slug": "hacker-news",
    "url": "https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2026/09/the-contract-on-america.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2001, Grover Norquist, a Republican anti-tax advocate, said in an interview that his goal was not to abolish the government, but to shrink it to the point where he could drown it in a bathtub. The rapid and extensive reduction of the federal government under Trump is unprecedented and raises the question of whether the Republican Party, now dominated by MAGA supporters, is willing to risk the future of U.S. society to achieve their political and ideological objectives. Is the Republican Party a kind of death cult, intent on destroying everything that supports the survival and prosperity of ordinary people? Does their hatred of liberalism and desire for revenge outweigh their sense of national responsibility? In a recent podcast, historians Timothy Snyder and Ruth Ben-Giat explored whether the U.S. is being murdered or committing suicide by Trump and MAGA Republicans, or if a significant portion of the electorate is committing national suicide in their support for the current administration. Clearly, both are happening. Trump and his MAGA allies are deliberately dismantling liberal constitutional democracy and eliminating federal agencies and executive departments that make up the modern U.S. state. They are aided by Republican voters and those who continue to support Trump and elect MAGA Republicans who often simply rubber-stamp his harmful policies. Trump's defunding of scientific, technological, and health research and the gutting of agencies responsible for clean air, water, food safety, and protection from harmful entities have already led to outbreaks of foodborne illnesses and preventable diseases. The long-term effects will be devastating as the societal conditions that enable people to thrive are eroded over time. The attack on federal agencies is part of a decades-long counter-revolution against New Deal and Great Society liberalism, with roots in the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. In 1994, Republicans passed the \"Contract With America,\" a ten-point plan that cut social programs and taxes, signaling a shift towards political combat where bipartisanship and compromise were seen as weakness. The ethos of obstruction and political brinkmanship reached a peak in 2016 when Mitch McConnell refused to consider Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, resulting in Republicans gaining a seat from Democrats. This mindset was also evident in numerous acts of political brinkmanship over debt ceiling approvals, budget appropriations, and the insertion of unrelated social policies into must-pass legislation. The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, an authoritarian takeover plan, aims to dismantle liberal constitutional democracy and the administrative state. While Trump initially distanced himself from the project, the White House implemented many of its policy recommendations, such as workforce reductions, elimination of diversity programs, and regulatory prioritization changes without congressional approval.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}