Towards Non-Recurrence: Accountability Options for Trump-Era Transgressions
In partnership with Protect Democracy, Laura Livingston co-authored Towards Non-Recurrence: Accountability Options for Trump-Era Transgressions. This paper applies historical case studies and transitional justice frameworks to explore the various considerations and tradeoffs that should inform whether and how the U.S. pursues accountability for wrongdoing that occurred during the Trump administration. It grapples with a common question: What measures could be taken to ensure transgressions—from criminal misconduct to democratic norm violations—do not recur?
The paper specifically interrogates the following:
What do we mean by ‘accountability’?
How would accountability work towards non-recurrence?
What are the risks and limitations of an accountability scheme?
Which kinds of transgressions should be held to account?
Which instruments are available to generate accountability?
Who are the appropriate parties to pursue accountability?
Who must legitimize an accountability scheme?