America Has Systematically Built a Culture of Elite Impunity Over Decades
Source: Adam Serwer. "How America Chose Not to Hold the Powerful to Account - The Atlantic." February 26, 2026. www.theatlantic.com
The Gist
America has spent decades deliberately making it impossible to punish rich and powerful people for crimes, while being extremely harsh on regular citizens. This isn't an accident - it's become our national policy, and it's destroying our democracy.
Conclusion
Elite impunity has become an American national project, where the wealthy and powerful systematically evade accountability for criminal behavior while ordinary citizens face harsh punishment
Premises
- Since Nixon's resignation, both political parties have worked to ensure their leaders escape consequences for their actions
- Presidential pardons from Ford through Obama have established precedents that executive lawbreaking carries no real penalties
- The Supreme Court has systematically dismantled anti-corruption laws and granted presidents immunity for official acts
- Congress eliminated special counsel investigations in bipartisan fashion to protect the executive branch from scrutiny
- While powerful figures globally face consequences (Bolsonaro, Yoon, Prince Andrew), American elites consistently avoid punishment
- The criminal justice system harshly punishes those at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder while exempting those at the top
- Trump's political success represents a backlash against accountability movements like #MeToo and Black Lives Matter
Assumptions
- Accountability for powerful people is essential for a functioning democracy
- The pattern of elite impunity is intentional rather than coincidental
- Other democracies provide valid comparison points for measuring American accountability
- Public support for elite impunity stems from false promises that ordinary citizens will share these privileges
- The erosion of accountability represents a fundamental threat to democratic institutions