Is the US government a Socialist Democracy? Are we becoming more authoritarian?

The US system of government can be described in several terms, usually as a representative democracy or as a constitutional republic. We exercise our political power by voting in elections to choose our representatives. That’s representative democracy.

The United States is a republic because our elected representatives exercise political power. To be very specific, the United States could be defined as a “federal constitutional representative democracy.” You might also call it a “federal constitutional republic.” Let’s break those terms down.
Constitutional: Our system of government is considered constitutional, because the power exercised by the people and their representatives is bound by the constitution and the broader rule of law.
Federal: Our government is also a federal system, since power is shared between a national government, representing the entire populace, and regional and local governments.

Our system of government depends on citizens being able to freely elect leaders who will represent their interests. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. In a study published 2014, two political scientists found that, on average, the policies representatives pursue are not in fact dictated by public opinion. This is the mark of a flawed democracy/
republic: election without true representation.
https://act.represent.us/sign/democracy-republic
Socialism
Socialism is, broadly speaking, a political and economic system in which property and the means of production are owned in common, typically controlled by the state or government. Socialism is based on the idea that common or public ownership of resources and means of production leads to a more equal society. In defining socialism, it's imporant to first define capitalism. Capitalism is based on private ownership of resources and means of production, and individual choices in a free market. This is in contrast to socialism. According to socialist philosophy, these features of capitalism lead to inequalities in wealth and hence power, and the exploitation of workers.

Democratic socialism is a form of socialism which emphasizes that both the economy and society should be run democratically, and that the goal is to meet the needs of all the people, not just a rich few. Some socialists argue that socialism does not necessarily require the government to run everything. Most democratic socialists propose that businesses should remain private ownership as long as owners don't exploit employees. Services that are shared by all include schools, police and fire services, roads, water, electricity, etc. Many also suggest that our government should also provide healthcare (Medicare for all) and childcare for working parents like most other western governments do.

Authoritarianism
Many political watchers, both conservative and liberal, suggest that the Trump administration is following the plan laid out by Project 2025.
Project 2025 would concentrate federal power in the presidency, direct all levers of government to dismantle democracy, and pull the rug out from under America’s middle class. At its core, Project 2025 seeks to unravel the system of checks and balances that has been foundational to American democracy for nearly 250 years.
**https://www.americanprogress.org/article/frequently-asked-questions-about-project-2025/**

A survey of more than 500 political scientists finds that the vast majority think the United States is moving swiftly from liberal democracy toward some form of authoritarianism. In the survey, known as Bright Line Watch, U.S.-based professors rate the performance of American democracy on a scale from zero (complete dictatorship) to 100 (perfect democracy). After President Trump's election in November, scholars gave American democracy a rating of 67. Several weeks into Trump's second term, that figure plummeted to 55. Respondents considered 30 indicators of democratic performance, including whether the government interferes with the press, punishes political opponents and whether the legislature and the judiciary can check executive authority.

Many of the respondents suggest the US is becoming a competitive authoritarian system. In a competitive authoritarian system, a leader comes to power democratically and then erodes the system of checks and balances. Typically, the executive fills the civil service and key appointments — including the prosecutor's office and judiciary — with loyalists. He or she then attacks the media, universities and nongovernmental organizations to blunt public criticism.
**https://www.npr.org/2025/04/22/nx-s1-5340753/trump-democracy-authoritarianism-competive-survey-political-scientist**

So come prepared to discuss:
Do you think we are becoming more authoritarian?
Should we adapt other socialistic policies?
Will we lose some of our social safety nets under the current government?
Any other types of government you think the US represents and if we should be changing.