On November 9, 2024, an article based on an interview with Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law, titled “Trump’s Next Administration: ‘Worse Than the First’—Democracy Weakens in Three Aspects” was published in the Mainichi Shimbun. In the article, Professor Ichihara referred to the insights on how the United States, Japan, and the world should respond to the election of former President Donald Trump as the next president of the United States. Professor Ichihara explained that under the second Trump administration, democracy in the United States is expected to weaken further in three key aspects compared to his first term. First, she highlighted the potential for freedoms and human rights to be infringed upon in various ways and expressed concern over the shrinking space for civil society. Second, she warned that divisions rooted in identity, religion, and economic inequality would deepen, further eroding trust among individuals. Third, she pointed out the potential weakening of measures against disinformation, raising concerns about increased vulnerability to foreign information operations.

https://mainichi.jp/articles/20241108/k00/00m/030/329000c