So far, the return of the Trump administration has been a flurry of activity with over 60 executive orders ranging in subject matter from immigration reform to climate change to renaming the Gulf of Mexico. While many of these orders point to executive aggrandizement, there is one that seems to encapsulate various ways that President Trump is contributing to democratic erosion in America. The creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with Elon Musk at its helm, is a clear sign of President Trump’s intention to erode American democracy.

Of all the notable executive orders, this one stands out because of its impact on American democracy and what it means for the rest of the Trump Presidency. Starting from something as simple as its name, DOGE, which is also a prominent social media meme of a dog—the same dog that is used in DOGE’s official logo – and cryptocurrency dogecoin – it is clear that this organization is breaking norms.

The first sign that DOGE is foreshadowing future democratic erosion within the US is because of its clear disregard for norm forbearance. Norm forbearance, as described in How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, is “the action of restraining from exercising a legal right,” which means that even if something is legal, it does not mean that it should always be done. By creating DOGE, Trump might not be breaking any laws, but he is breaking previous norms for the Executive Branch, including how it organizes, directs and leads Federal agencies.

Operating on the assumption that the creation and staffing of DOGE is legal, which is currently up for debate within the legal system, the Department of Government Efficiency is ignoring previous norms. The DOGE is not a Cabinet department, meaning the leader is not nominated by the President or confirmed by the Senate. The leader of DOGE is not even a full-time employee of the Government, Elon Musk is instead a “Special Government Employee”. This role created by Congress allows the government to work with experts for a limited period of 180 days, not to head a quasi-government agency that potentially will impact every established part of the Federal government.  While it is legal for the President to hire a special government employee, it breaks all kinds of norms that Elon is heading this organization, given the vast number of business and personal conflicts of interest that are inherently present in the scope of DOGE’s work that’s known so far.

The implications of Elon as the head of DOGE only get worse when considering the work that DOGE is doing. This agency has interviewed employees, reviewed many government agency’s work and payments already, and been a close advisor to the President. This further highlights the need for someone with that much access to information and sway about how the federal government operates to be confirmed by Congress.

The actions taken by the DOGE are extreme and unusual, but are being justified to help the US get back to democracy.  This is a claim often made by leaders looking to erode democracy. As Elon Musk said in a recent interview, describing the current political system as a “Rule of the Bureaucracy as opposed to the rule of the people, Democracy”. Insinuating that DOGE is working to make it more democratic. This is ironic, considering that both he and his band of unelected and unconfirmed officials are the ones heading this endeavor. As Ozan Varol in Stealth Authoritarianism points out, regimes that are taking power in an undemocratic way often use the Law and Order rhetoric to distract from or justify undemocratic actions. Even though the creation, staffing, and operation of DOGE might be un-democratic in practice, Elon Musk claims they are working for the betterment of democracy; which takes attention away from the true implication of these undemocratic actions.

Overall, the creation of DOGE and its implementation with Elon Musk as its leader undermine key democratic norms essential for a functioning democracy. This is just one of the multitude of norms that President Trump has broken within his first few weeks in office. President Trump’s apparent disregard for standards and the function of American Democracy likely foreshadow his subsequent actions.  This will provide America with an actual test to see if the American Democratic system is strong enough to prevail over the challenges to its survival, to endure well beyond its 250th anniversary next year.