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When fascism is talked about in a society, it is important to understand what fascism truly is. According to Umberto Eco’s Ur Facism, fascism is not one single set of rules but instead “a collage of different ideas,” which just means that it can take form and shape at any time or place. Still, there are some common characteristics which are a belief in a charismatic leader, extreme nationalism, the rejection of democratic debate, fear of outsiders, and the idea that differences of opinion are disagreements are dangerous. These few characteristics follow fascist movements to grow because they simplify complex problems and give people answers during a time of fear or instability.

For citizens, the most dangerous fascist characteristics are those that attack individualism or an individual's freedom. When a society starts to treat disagreements as a threat, or when the government claims there's this one leader who can “save” the nation, the public loses the ability to challenge harmful decisions. Eco explains that fascism depends on “the cult of tradition,” and many refuse to question authority. When people are encouraged to stop thinking for themselves, it becomes a lot easier for leaders to manipulate the public’s view and justify violence. Historically, many societies accepted fascism because it offered a sense of belonging or community, which, at a time when economic problems are present, makes people desperate for stability or a community they can depend on.

Today, lots of countries, even the United States, show certain characteristics that reflect past fascist societies, even if they are not fully fascist nations. Some of these characteristics are rising political polarization, strong populist leaders who claim they represent “the real people” or, like Trump, will “Make America Great Again,” and a lack of trust in democratic institutions. For example, many far-right groups in modern Europe use themes like protecting national identity and rejecting and alienating outsiders, which are similar to earlier fascist movements. In the U.S., this is especially present through debates about immigration, voting rights, and national “purity.” They are appealing today for the same reason they were appealing in the past, as they offer simple explanations for complicated issues. This gives people in a community a group to find a sense of belonging, whether they won’t feel ignored or powerless anymore, but instead empowered.

Thankfully, the U.S. is not the same as the fascist societies of the 20th century. Although we still have strong democratic institutions, regular elections, a free press, and laws that limit how much power any single leader can hold. People openly criticize the government without fear of arrest, and political power changes hands peacefully. These differences matter. They show that while fascist ideas may exist in the U.S., the country is not a part of a fascist system. It’s also important to stop labeling every right-leaning movement as fascist, as it takes away the importance of the word. The National Review article No, Trump Is Not a Fascist argues that the term “fascist” is used too casually, which weakens the word and turns every single political disagreement into accusations instead. Not every conservative idea comes from fascism, and many people who support right-leaning positions may be for religious purposes or economic reasons, not because they believe in total authoritarian rule. Calling every conservative movement fascist will only deepen division within a nation, which makes it harder to recognize when actual fascist ideas are spreading.

Even though the U.S. is a democracy, that doesn’t mean we are completely safe from fascism. History shows that fascism will only grow inside democratic countries when people stop paying attention and begin to lose trust in their government, or look for leaders who offer quick and easy answers. Eco warns that fascism can show up in the most innocent of disguises, which means it can appear slowly and unknowingly. Because of this, no society, including ours, is completely safe from this. The best way to prevent fascism is to stay informed, question leaders, support open discussion, and avoid treating any group of people like the enemy.

In conclusion, the United States now especially has some worrying signs, like extreme political divisions and people losing so much faith in institutions, but it is not a fascist country. Still, fascist ideas can spread if people are not careful. Knowing the real signs of fascism helps us stay aware and stop history from repeating itself.

In order for a society to be fascist, I believe that some of the most necessary characteristics to exist are anti-intellectualism and high in-group bias. Anti-intellectualism, to begin, results in many other tenets of fascist society, such as the omission of truth and the cult of a leader. I also believe that it presents an extreme danger to ordinary people in society. A lack of intellectualism and learning prevents citizens from learning information and making decisions relevant to their survival, such as about their health, which politician they should vote for, and more. Similarly, many people in the United States who abstain from voting in elections are due to being uninformed. Thus, they are effectively increasing the likelihood of a fascist government taking place. Additionally, high in-group bias prevents pluralism in a society, inhibiting useful discourse and collaboration among cultures that encourages dissent.

In America today, I think that we are lucky to live in a society where we have the privilege to live comfortably and with good education. I feel that I live comfortably enough to feel enough satisfied with how things are run in this country that I don’t think I would be manipulated by a fascist dictator. However, in the past, general hardship created dissatisfaction and struggles. People sought a way out, and someone who promised a better society would be well accepted.

I also believe that the United States is experiencing symptoms of fascism. Anti-intellectualism is infiltrating the highest levels of our government, notably with RFK. Stating that vaccines cause autism, among many other lies, have been absorbed by hordes of uneducated masses and are beginning to create huge anti-vax movements. The us vs. them ideology and in-group bias is also visible, with President Trump cracking down on immigration and making a notable effort to differentiate immigrants from (white) U.S. citizens. This is visible in his “eating the dogs, eating the cats” rhetoric during the 2024 presidential debate. The United States is also embodying the “macho” element of fascism increasingly, with many female-centered professions and degrees being stated as “non-professional” by the government, and crackdowns on abortion continuing to be prevalent. What’s more, the National Review, in its article No, Trump is Not a Fascist, states that “Trump isn’t deploying a paramilitary wing of the GOP to clash with his enemies on the streets”. However, he has done something very similar — deploying the National Guard into the streets of Washington and sending ICE on violent rampages, kidnapping innocent US citizens. Also, Trump even said to Zohran Mamdani, in their recent meeting, that it was okay and correct to call him a fascist! The New Republic’s article Does American Fascism Exist states that “no self-identified fascist is taken seriously in American society”, but this contradicts many Americans’ trust of Donald Trump, who, as just stated, is a self-identified fascist.

However, the US still differs from fascist societies of the past in key ways that I believe prevent fascism from fully taking control in the country. To start, the fact that different political parties are even allowed to exist in the United States separates it from, say, Hitler’s Germany. There and then, parties with different ideologies were attacked by the government and physically condemned for it. The discourse between Democrats and Republicans imposes some checks and balances of governmental power, as well as ensuring more voices are heard than simply that of the majority. It is my opinion that while political discourse continues to occur, and while the Senate and the House both are divided between multiple parties (with no one huge majority) and while government checks and balances still exist, the United States will differentiate itself from a fascist society and will hopefully stay that way.

The most compelling idea in your post is your focus on anti-intellectualism as a root cause of many fascist threats. I agree with this point, as when people stop trusting facts or experts, it becomes much easier for leaders to spread misinformation and gain power through citizens fearing them. You also connect anti-intellectualism to low voter participation, which is interesting because it shows how everyday choices, like staying uninformed, can slowly weaken a democracy.

Your point about the in-group bias also relates to ideas thought of about how fascism grows when people start seeing each other as “us vs. them.” I think you explained this part perfectly, especially when you mentioned how the lack of pluralism shuts down useful conversations, which are vital for a society to progress. My own views are similar to yours, especially in believing that the U.S. does show some early warning signs of fascism, even though it is not a fully fascist society. I also agree that strong political opposition and checks and balances still help to protect the system today. Also, some of your examples, like the government labeling professions as “non-professional,” were a great way of connecting the topic to issues that are going on today.

One suggestion I have is to maybe give a little more explanation in the last paragraph about how exactly checks and balances slow down fascist tendencies. Overall, your post is very thoughtful, strong, and shows a clear understanding of the topic.

Modern democracies, including the US, are not fascist states, but some political movements show traits that resemble elements of historical fascism, particularly during periods of economic strain, cultural conflict, or institutional distrust. Yet that does not mean that the nation is inherently fascist, it just means there are certain patterns that reappear because they satisfy social and psychological needs. Characteristics of fascism include strong “us vs them” nationalism, charismatic leadership, disdain for democratic institutions, clarification of violence and military, blaming national problems on minority groups, mass propaganda, fusion of state and business, the mythical past, and traditionalism. No modern nation matches all of these, but shows partial expressions.

The US remains a functioning democracy with strong institutions. (although many are dissatisfied with the government and there is a huge partisan division) However, some trends resemble historical patterns such as

• Using immigrants, political opponents, and racial/religious groups as scapegoats
  • Ex. Trump blaming immigrants for the economic problems, calling democrats treasonists, ethno-nationalist pride movements, cultural replacement conspiracies: "They're stealing American jobs”, dehumanization of minorities, violent hate crimes against marginalized groups and journalists
• Worship of a leader
  • Movements defined by personal loyalty and not policy, the cultist traits of the MAGA movement, attacks on courts, legislatures, independent media, and pre-existing laws
• Rising acceptance of political violence
  • Ex. January 6th, murder of two democrat lawmakers in their home, and the murder of Charlie Kirk, “Militia” groups (Proud Boys), death threats against public officials, “mainstreamification” of violence and increasing calls for “revolution” or “civil war” as political slogans
  • People believe the system is collapsing and violence in the only path to restore control for ones group
• Propaganda and conspiracy
  • Propaganda today does not require state control, social media amplifies misinformation organically
  • Ex. Partisan media platforms (Truth Social), politicians sharing conspiracy theories (attacks on minorities), a decline in knowing what information is real and what is fake (especially with the incorporation of AI)
  • Belief in election fraud
• State power, business, and party loyalty
  • Business and government become intertwined (Google and Meta sponsoring the White House Ballroom)
  • Intense political loyalty (the consistency of red states and blue states throughout elections)
  • Party loyalty replaces neutral government (governing only benefits those who are loyal to the party and the beliefs of that party are implemented even if they hurt the other party/ generally hurt the people)
• Mythic past and cultural restoration
  • “Make America Great Again” implying that America was great in the past and that we need to ‘return to normalcy’ (even though we have progressed forward as a society)
  • Cultural fundamentalism
  • Revival of mythic national identities (Trump pushing to rebuild confederate monuments)

Concerning what characteristics must be present for a society to be considered Fascist, there is an obvious one that hinges upon Fascism’s definition. Definitionally, Fascism is of right-winged politics: no matter time nor place, Fascist tropes have invariably been steeped in conservative notions of traditionalism. It may be conjected, then, that at least one requisite to an accurate designation of a Fascist society is the presence of such a right-winged conservatism. Much else further, however, is arduous to prove; Fascism’s mutability renders it difficult to pinpoint any other necessary characteristics for its formation. As philosopher and social commentator Umberto Eco summarizes, “it is possible to eliminate one or more aspects from a Fascist regime and it will [still] be recognisably Fascist. Remove the imperialist dimension from Fascism, and you get Franco or Salzar; remove the colonialist dimension, and you get Balkan Fascism” (Eco 15). In good faith, it should be reminded that while an atmosphere of conservatism must be present for a Fascist designation, conservatism in no way implies Fascism on its own.

Is our US democracy immune to Fascist ideology?—no. And while I am not so pessimistic as to say that Fascism is necessarily on the rise—for I do believe that certain qualities of democracy lend themselves to resisting Fascism (more on that shortly)—the stance that our democracy is immune to Fascist ideology is not merely difficult to defend epistemologically; it is also, and even, untrue by example.

Let us first consider the logic of the word ‘immune,’ then address the question according to stringent logic. Inherent of ‘immune’ is a sense of impossibility; a body immune to a disease will never suffer from it directly; by immunity’s definition, such would be impossible. The logical difficulty in asserting that something is impossible is that it takes but one example to discredit the claim whole. Even if our democratic society is mostly immune to fascist ideology—a much more defensible stance thanks to the presence of the qualifier “mostly”—the claim that it is entirely immune demands logical justification on a completely different scale. Therefore, it becomes foreseeable that a stance upholding ‘immunity’ for our democracy against Fascism is logically suspect, and that there exists every chance for the claim to be false. But as recently suggested, we can even do even better to provide the falsifying evidence ourselves.

There are many characteristics that must be present in order for a society to be considered fascist. There are specifically two characteristics that will lead a society into fascism; a charismatic leader and a weak government. When societies as a whole are in their lowest state they will be susceptible to almost any proposed solution. They will also be looking for a way to strengthen their self image and power. A leader who comes and says that they will bring prosperity and wealth back into the country will quickly become popular. However the leader must be strategic in the way that they promote themselves. They must be aware of the country's specific weaknesses and how to take advantage of them. When people are given a leader who will simply be able to solve all of their problems, they will quickly follow and eventually become engulfed by them. One of the most dangerous aspects of a fascist society is the utilization of the victim mentality that leaders promote. Human nature is greatly taken advantage of when a totalitarian government comes to power. When fascist leaders make their people believe that they are the victim, they have been wronged, and that there is a singular group to blame for this wrong doing, everyone will unite. As said in The True Believer by Eric Hoffer, people are much more likely to unite through hatred and a common enemy, than through love. The strong hatred that grows only strengthens the connection that people feel to the fascist party. In the birth of fascist movements, they are not framed as a brutal, totalitarian government, but simply as a new party that will make their country great again. People will easily identify with a party that makes them feel seen and makes them believe that they will truly help better their country. The way that fascist regimes make it especially easy for it to be accepted by society.

There are certainly aspects of the United States today that are characteristics of a historic fascist society but few may argue that the country will become a fully fascist state. According to an article by Richard Lowry, “Trump says crude and unworthy things and behaved abysmally after the 2020 election, but the idea that he bears any meaningful resemblance to these cracked movements is a stupid smear.” It is undeniable that the president has said very concerning things but the entire country itself should not become a full totalitarian society. However, it is important to remember that the United States especially is very vulnerable to fascist ideologies. Facism is most likely to rise in societies that are in their weakest state and the increasing political polarization in the United States is making the country more and more vulnerable to facism. Fascist leaders also take advantage of social psychological theories that all humans are susceptible to. Some characteristics are most likely appealing to people today because it allows them to feel important and valued when they are made the victim. It also allows them to feel more powerful as the extreme nationalism in the country leads them to feel a sense of superiority compared to the entire world.

I think that one of the biggest characteristics of a society that is able to be taken over by a fascist regime is a society filled with turmoil. You really need a country to be in a place filled with distrust and disturbance that allows for a more authoritarian presence to gain the trust of the people. A state that is having more success will have people more confident in their current government, and they won’t trust that type of authoritarian presence in the same way. When facism takes over, you can really tell by the loss of rights, and the mass control that is exerted. I think a big pointing to a fascist society is the mass amount of propaganda and media control. I think it can sometimes be so obvious with all this messaging and all the swaying of opinions that a government is trying to change the minds of the people. I think part of the reason that facism was easily accepted by societies in the past was because people back then had much less education and critical thinking, and the fascist governments appeared to them as great stabilizers for their countries during tough times. Umberto Eco’s Ur-Facism says that concerning facism, “there can be no advancement of learning. The truth has already been announced once and for all, and all we can do is continue interpreting its obscure message. This stress and downplaying on education is a large part of the control that comes from these governments. This regulation of learning stops people from getting education and being able to critically think, and it allows the government to limit people from seeing what is really going on. I think that the US definitely displays a lot of similar characteristics to fascist societies. Just from my experience, I have seen so much propaganda and media control, that it just really stood out as fascist tendencies. So many stories are taken and twisted and changed and just straight up lied about to make people believe certain things, and people can be in such a state that they believe it so easily. I also have seen such a large amount of attempts of restriction of learning. There was a lot going on with defunding of colleges, and I think that speaks to the attempt to stop people from critically thinking and looking at the changed that have happened in America recently. One thing that I think is a bit different in today’s US society than from fascist ones in the past is that I do feel like there are still a lot more critical thinkers and highly educated people, and I think there is a lot more pushback to the government than before. The extent to which the Nazi regime went is something that I think and would hope is impossible in todays America because I think humanity has hopefully reached a point where a country like America would never allow that to be possible ever again. I hope that our democrat society is immune to facism, even though there have definitely been signs and similarities.

The word fascism seems to be used much more often in today’s current society. It is important to use the term based on the characteristics of a fascist society as throwing the word fascism around could dull its meaning down, be a false statement, or be insensitive. In Does American Facism Exist?, American facism’s power is described as “fascism’s power in American discourse comes from the fact that it has no stable meaning—it’s mostly an all-purpose curse word, a highfalutin “fuck this”—which means that the fascism debate, as currently constructed, can never end”. Americans have the privilege to have freedom of speech and say what they please. This means the debate for fascism can be non stop and the word fascism can be thrown around. At the same time though, it is important to use it if one thinks a fascist society is forming as it can warn everyone, using its impact, on a growing fascist society. It is difficult to find a balance, but it is important that the word fascism holds true to the characteristics of a fascist society.

To base one’s determination on whether a society is fascist or a fascist society is forming one can use certain characteristics. A heavy value falls onto the youth as they are the upcoming generation who will continue long after many in society. This is dangerous for the youth as this is a large burden and can cause trauma that will stick with them. Propaganda is another characteristic which is used to brainwash people, much of it based on lies. This in a way leads to a fake society where reality is unreal due to everything not being true. Scapegoats are also identified in a fascist society as it can be used to unite people under ideas of hatred for another group. This gives people a place to blame someone for their fears and anger and allows the leader to exert much control. Gender roles are also identified which is dangerous due to the inequalities that can form which means society will be in an even worse state.

We can also see certain fascist characteristics in the US today. Checks and balances have more and more loop holes the more we continue on with the system. The US prides itself on this system that supposedly makes sure the government is in check and that branches are unable to make certain decisions by themselves. When all 3 branches of the government are aligned with one political party almost anything can get passed as they all want the decision that their party wants. This leads to all the checks to ensure laws and decisions do not easily get passed to a system where anything can be put into effect. In addition, the military has been deployed to more and more states which is another characteristic in a fascist society. We can also see censorship in the media. All media is essentially owned by a couple companies meaning that many companies are owned by one person. This means that the owner of all of these media companies can control things to the way they want it to be causing a certain narrative to form.

We have the benefit of time knowing how a fascist society will turn out. In the US we learn that fascism is negative, however others may not have the privilege to even discuss fascist ideas or characteristics. It is important to discuss and acknowledge these ideas so that we can move away from fascist societies.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, fascism is considered to be “a populist…movement… that exalts nation and often race above the individual”. Fascism has been around since the beginnings of civilization, but ever since the rise of fascism in the post World War I period, it has become a much greater topic of conversation. As stated in the Umberto Eco “Excerpts from Ur-Fascism” reading, a fascist society often includes, but is not limited to, strong nationalism, a cult-esque leader, and a perceived national decline. I believe that it is necessary for there to be a strong sense of nationalism and a perceived national decline. The cult-esque leader is not a must have in a fascist society, as I believe that these ideologies and actions would have taken place regardless of whether or not there is that type of leader. A dictatorial leader gives a face to the movement, and can create a symbol of their power, but it is not necessarily a must have. On the other hand, it is vital for there to be extreme nationalism and a sense of national decline in order for the movement to gain traction. During a period of prosperity, the fascist ideology seems like a whole bunch of rubbish, but as soon as something goes wrong, it is very easy for people to grasp onto the idea that there is someone to blame for the bad doings. The sense of there being an “other”, makes people feel a lot more at ease, regardless of the outcomes of it.

In the United States, there are definitely early signs of fascism, but that does not necessarily mean that fascism is going to occur. In New Republic’s article “Does American Fascism Exist?”, they bring up the similarities between American populism and fascism in that there is “shared racism, reliance on the petit bourgeois, hypernationalism, and xenophobia”. All of these are certainly becoming more prevalent under the Trump administration during his second term, and it is important to note that he could be considered the cult-esque leader, but as I have already mentioned, that does not equal fascism. The rise in these beliefs can be tied to the ongoing political instability in our country. With a growing divide between the Republicans and Democrats, society’s idea that there is an “other” group is becoming more and more common, leading many to believe that this is the norm. While it starts with the left versus the right, it quickly becomes a means of finding anyone that you can blame, which ties directly into fascist beliefs. When a political organization is informing everyone to blame a specific group, they will do it in a heartbeat because that has become the new normal. These behaviors can help explain why fascism is starting to appear within the United States. However, I do not believe that American society will succumb to a fascist belief system. There are a lot more checks and balances that are put into place that limit a single person’s power over the entire nation, and the state itself is not weak enough to be taken over. I think that it is definitely something that needs to be carefully considered as we move forward as a society, but not something that we need to be afraid of at the moment or in the near future.