Analysis by The Steady State
Our analyses are authored by members of The Steady State, all of whom previously served as officers within the U.S. Intelligence Community. Each contributor brings professional experience in intelligence analysis, national security assessment, and strategic evaluation.
We apply established U.S. Intelligence Community analytic tradecraft to examine conditions inside the United States—using the same disciplined methods, standards, and rigor that guide intelligence assessments worldwide.
Strategic Business Risk Assessment: Growing Authoritarianism and American Business
/in AnalysisExecutive Summary We assess with high confidence that accelerating authoritarian dynamics in the United States are already generating direct and growing risks to American businesses, both abroad and at home. This risk environment is defined less by episodic shocks than by a structural shift away from rules-based governance toward personalized, discretionary power, in w […]
Accelerating Authoritarian Dynamics: Assessment of Democratic Decline – Periodic Update
/in Analysis, SubstackPDF We assess that President Trump’s chronic need to reward loyalists and appease dictators is a primary driver of America’s path toward authoritarianism. Trump’s creation of a $1.776 billion slush fund to reward anyone claiming they were “persecuted” by the Biden Administration suggests he may see a need to remind people who have proven willing […]
Trump Unleashed: Leadership Patterns and Implications in the Second Term
/in Analysis, SubstackPDF VERSION AVAILABLE HERE We assess that Donald Trump’s second presidential term exhibits increasingly personalized, dominance-oriented leadership, shaped by strong partisan control, expanded executive authority, and a staff culture emphasizing loyalty over moderation. His governing style prioritizes image, legacy, and symbolic strength over institutional process, contributing to policy volatility and making long-term forecasting difficult, even […]