In the wake of the Second World War, Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand began a transition towards what would become known as social democracy or democratic socialism. By the 1970s, this transition was substantially complete. Democratic socialism is defined by the existence of ruling elites that limit the choices that regular citizens have at the ballot box to those candidates who are acceptable to the ruling class. Furthermore, the ruling class defines the limits of public discourse on issues such as abortion, homosexuality, and euthanasia. Finally, the ruling class limits both the economic upside and the economic downside, the risks, and the rewards, for the citizenry at large. The resulting economic system provides free healthcare and university education of acceptable quality to all citizens in exchange for high taxation on both income and consumption. An economic safety net amounting to something like universal basic income is also provided. 

With the rejection by the American ruling class of the results of the 2020 presidential election, because the reelection of President Trump was unacceptable to them, the true American rulers have briefly stepped from behind the veil and declared the transition of the United States to democratic socialism to be a fait accompli. It is unlikely that this action will face significant opposition in the halls of Congress or in the American public at large because no competing system of governance that comports to modern realities have so far been formulated.