Its political philosophy is simple: representative democracy is an obsolete and outdated concept from another era. In the modern world, governments should be run by experts and charismatic leaders, not 18th century debating societies.

Through clever changes to the voting laws, a few well chosen dossiers supplied by the NSA, and a general amnesty, the Progressives seize control in the election of 2020. They quickly consolidate their power over the country by means of the endless alphabet soup of Federal agencies to which lazy Congresses, over many years, have delegated their authority. Congress itself becomes largely irrelevant.

But things do not go well. Laws and policies once hammered out by political compromise are replaced by an endless stream ill-thought-out central government executive decrees. The economy spirals into depression. The government responds by printing ever more money to survive and pay its EBT clients.

The country becomes so weakened that the Chinese boldly decide the time is right to strike. They dump their trove of worthless Treasuries onto the world markets. The dollar collapses. America is bankrupt.

By 2022 the country is in chaos. The money is worthless and the cities are charred ruins after the food riots. States are seceding and printing their own currency. Mexican armies have recaptured large areas of the southwest. Russian and Chinese troops are on the move while the U.S. sells assets to buy foreign exchange. The nation is paralyzed.

When all seems lost, the people finally rise to smash the Washington leviathan. But the federal beast, though wounded, fights back.