NYT Opinion Urges Citizens to Become Guardrails Against Trump 2.0 Power

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 24

A New York Times opinion essay argues that the "guardrails" metaphor no longer explains how to restrain executive overreach under Trump’s second term, and says individuals must act as the real check.
The piece says talk of guardrails turns citizens into spectators waiting for institutions, norms or long-dead constitutional designers to stop abuses that may face weak or nonexistent limits.
It frames that critique against a list of alleged excesses in Trump 2.0 — from federal workforce cuts and threats to allies to militarizing cities and proposing a $1.8 billion political fund.
The broader argument is that concern has shifted from first-term questions over whether Trump could act to a second-term search for what, if anything, can stop him.

When both political and AI systems use 'guardrails,' how can citizens prevent becoming passive spectators?

Is the erosion of democratic norms a failure of institutions, or a consequence of declining citizen participation?