Authoritarians Centralize Economic Levers

The piece argues that strongmen inevitably turn against free markets because independent wealth centers threaten their power. In the U.S. case, broad, decades‑old delegations on tariffs and 'national security' commerce let a president make firms’ fortunes hinge on his favor, converting 'pro‑business' rhetoric into leader‑centric corporatism. — This reframes partisan economics as a separation‑of‑powers problem and warns that executive economic tools can erode market independence and democratic checks.