How Democracies Die

by

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt

Robert Mueller Character Analysis

Lawyer and former FBI director Robert Mueller was the special counsel hired by the Department of Justice to investigate Donald Trump’s possible links to Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump briefly considered firing Mueller, which the authors cite as an example of undermining the democratic checks and balances on his power.
Get the entire How Democracies Die LitChart as a printable PDF.
How Democracies Die PDF

Robert Mueller Character Timeline in How Democracies Die

The timeline below shows where the character Robert Mueller appears in How Democracies Die. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 8: Trump Against the Guardrails
American Tyranny Theme Icon
Authoritarianism vs. Democratic Norms Theme Icon
Polarization and Inclusive Democracy Theme Icon
...of his media coverage was negative, and he soon faced a major investigation by Robert Mueller and discussions of impeachment. He used all three of the authoritarian strategies the authors discussed... (full context)
American Tyranny Theme Icon
Authoritarianism vs. Democratic Norms Theme Icon
...he fired prominent officials, including Comey, who didn’t follow his demands. He threatened to fire Mueller, who was investigating him, and attacked judges whose rulings he disliked. He pardoned the anti-immigrant... (full context)
American Tyranny Theme Icon
Authoritarianism vs. Democratic Norms Theme Icon
Extremism and Gatekeeping Theme Icon
...to Trump, but also chose containment when he fired James Comey and proposed firing Robert Mueller. (full context)