Brains Without Bravery: How Ivy League Elites Are Fueling Authoritarianism

Some of the smartest people are enabling authoritarianism—and they know better.

Aug 01, 2025

A view of a building from across the lawn — Photo by Richard Liu on Unsplash

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
— Abraham Lincoln

We’ve long been taught to trust the smart ones—the Ivy grads, the lawyers, the data-driven “experts.” But intelligence, for all its prestige, doesn’t automatically come with a moral compass. It doesn’t ensure courage, compassion, or integrity. In the wrong hands, it can rationalize harm, spin propaganda, and erode trust in democracy.

As democracy weakens around the world, it’s not just the uninformed leading the charge. Sometimes, it’s the smartest person in the room.

Vice President J.D. Vance has the résumé of a statesman—but the instincts of a strongman. Yale Law. Bestseller. Political opportunist. He knows exactly what he’s doing.

And that’s what makes it worse.

Because intelligence doesn’t protect democracy. Sometimes, it helps dismantle it.

Vance built his brand on intellect and grit, but credentials don’t equal character. His record shows a calculated rejection of core democratic principles, often in service of consolidating power.

He’s also changed his stripes to fit the mold, shifting from Never Trump to MAGA loyalist, and converting to Catholicism along the way, aligning himself with the movement’s most fervent base.

To understand the threat he poses, let’s walk through five essential democratic principles—and how Vance has actively undermined each one.

Five Pillars of Democracy—and How Vance Undermines Them All

1. Free and Fair Elections (Including the Peaceful Transfer of Power)

Vance has stated that former Vice President Mike Pence should have refused to certify the 2020 election results.

2. Protection of Civil and Human Rights

In Up From Conservatism (a book he introduced), Vance endorsed language lobbying for the repeal of the Civil Rights Act, "investigations into ‘gay lifestyle’” and defunding childcare.

In addition, during the Vice Presidential debate, Vance promoted a false and inflammatory rumor that Haitian migrants in Ohio were cooking and eating pets, despite local authorities confirming no evidence, leading to public fear and racism against the innocent migrants.

He opposed the Respect for Marriage Act, which constitutionally protects same-sex marriage, and advocated for a national abortion ban with no exceptions, dismissing sexual violence as irrelevant.

3. The Rule of Law

Courts have constitutional authority to interpret statutes, check executive overreach, and ensure government actions follow law—not the whims of power. This preserves accountability and separation of powers.

Vance has argued that judges have no authority over the executive—a clear embrace of the unitary executive theory at the heart of Project 2025.

On the Interesting Times podcast and in multiple interviews, Vance claimed the courts have no authority over the executive and argued that if courts block presidential actions, the administration should simply ignore them—challenging judges to enforce their rulings. He framed the judiciary as an enemy of the people’s will, echoing historical defiance of constitutional limits.

4. Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances

No single branch (executive, legislative, or judicial) can operate without oversight from the others. This prevents power consolidation and preserves constitutional stability.

In a conversation with Ross Douthat (New York Times), Vance called the judiciary’s role in checking executive orders a betrayal of the popular will. He insisted that courts should defer to elected mandates. especially on immigration enforcement, even when they conflict with constitutional limits.

5. Free Speech, Press, Religion & Assembly

This includes:

The right to speak, dissent, protest, and gather freely
Journalistic independence and pluralistic media landscape
Unfettered exercise of religion and worship
Association and assembly without state suppression

Vance admitted he would "create stories" to attract media attention—even if unverified, as in the false Haitian migrant narratives—fueling disinformation that endangers journalistic trust and immigrant communities.

He has also been linked to banning reporters from events and branding mainstream outlets as “enemies of the people,” undercutting media independence and press accountability.

At the Munich Security Conference, Vance loudly defended free expression and religious speech, accusing European governments of silencing dissenters. Yet back home, his administration hypocritically banned the Associated Press from the White House for not following presidential terminology directives—a move criticized as censorship.

Authoritarianism: What It Is and Why It Matters

Britannica defines authoritarianism as blind submission to authority and the repression of individual freedom of thought and action. But there isn’t just one kind of authoritarianism. It wears many masks—religious, political, economic—and while the outcomes may vary, the aim is always control.

You can explore the different forms of authoritarianism here.

Authoritarian regimes eventually turn on everyone. Today’s loyalist is tomorrow’s dissenter. Nobody stays safe under unchecked power.

While younger generations are highly intelligent and understand history, a subject learned from a book is entirely different from lived experience. Many younger people have never experienced the real-time fight against fascism as was the case during WWII. They never experienced the horrors of what this type of government is capable of.

The US is toeing the line of becoming a more authoritarian country. For example, CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, placed the U.S. on its civic space watchlist, citing serious erosion of freedoms like peaceful protest, press access, and association rights. Actions included military responses to protests, journalist arrests, and funding cuts to PBS/NPR. The U.S. moved into a “narrowed” civic space category, alongside countries like Turkey and Serbia.

In addition, Trump also pursued unitary executive powers, suggesting courts have no authority over presidential decisions, comparing himself to a king, and encouraging public defiance of unfavorable court rulings.

Democracy experts like Larry Diamond now say the U.S. is a “democracy in decline”, comparing our trajectory to Hungary and Brazil and calling for urgent civic resistance and defenses of systemic norms.

A Broader Pattern: Other “Smart” Enablers

Aside from JD Vance, here are other prominent Ivy-league enablers of authoritarianism.

Usha Vance

Usha Vance is a Yale-educated attorney who clerked for both Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts. Though she’s largely avoided the spotlight, her alignment with J.D. Vance raises valid questions about how brilliant, elite-credentialed figures can remain silent—or even complicit—in the face of democratic backsliding.

RFK, Jr.

RFK, Jr. is the son of the late Attorney General, RFK, and nephew of the late President JFK. RFK, Jr. launched his 2024 campaign as a Democrat before switching to Independent.

Though he hails from a legacy family, with a long career as a lawyer and now as the Secretary of Health and Human Services, RFK, Jr. is frequently at odds with the scientific community and democratic principles. Prior to joining the Trump administration, RFK, Jr. called Trump a “threat to democracy”, compared him to historical demagogues, dismissed him as “unhinged”, and challenged him to a debate.

Stephen Miller

Stephen Miller graduated from Duke University, where he honed a reputation for provocation—and then weaponized it in the Trump White House. This time, Miller isn't just advising. He’s running the show. He drafted and executed some of the administration’s most authoritarian immigration moves: mass family separations, drastic refugee caps, and policies widely condemned as xenophobic.

Miller doesn’t just tolerate cruelty. He institutionalizes it.

This year, he ordered ICE to arrest at least 3,000 undocumented people per day, including anyone found near Home Depot parking lots or convenience stores—many with no criminal record and no due process. He reportedly gloated about arresting “30 people outside a Home Depot near ICE’s D.C. headquarters.” Civil liberties groups describe the resulting raids as warrantless detentions, brutal and chaotic.

He didn't just stop there. Miller signaled willingness to suspend habeas corpus to speed up mass deportations—effectively paving the way for executive overreach far beyond constitutional limits.

In his own words:

“Deport the invaders, or surrender to insurrection.”

If this is authoritarianism by design, Miller is its architect. He’s not behind the scenes—he’s shaping the entire playbook, making Project 2025 less theory and more imminent blueprint.

Why This Matters

People sometimes change their minds based on new information—and that’s fair. But when former critics turn into loyal allies overnight, it raises questions about conviction and moral clarity. And when longtime loyalists, like Stephen Miller, wield power with no regard for democratic norms, it’s not a change of heart. It’s a strategy.

In either case, the danger is the same: power unmoored from principle.

As a human creation, democracy is inherently imperfect. But if we don’t have a democracy, we have authoritarianism. In the future, we can—and should—work to improve democracy. But for now, it remains the best thing we’ve got.

What actually protects democracy?