The Dark Side of Utopia: Institutional Erosion, Secret Power, and Democratic Backsliding in the Star Trek Universe

Abstract “When push comes to shove, are we willing to sacrifice our principles in order to survive?” Doctor Julian Bashir asks at the end of “Inquisition” (1998). The Star Trek franchise has attempted to answer this question for nearly thirty years. I argue that the Section 31 storyline, introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and revisited in subsequent series, is an allegory for democratic backsliding. DS9 treats the secret, unaccountable Section 31 as a scandal, while Star Trek: Discovery treats it as routine. This mirrors the slow erosion of norms Levitsky and Ziblatt describe. American surveillance after 9/11 followed a similar path. The on-screen evolution of Section 31 raises the question of why the public accepts such organizations. Perceived threat leads citizens to trade civil liberties for security. Many Americans also dislike visible political conflict and prefer decision-makers without an obvious agenda. Trek initially depicts Section 31 as successful but still abhorrent, so the objection is not about effectiveness. But the allegory does have limits. We rarely see the Federation’s politics on screen, and we never see political parties depicted. Trek , therefore, places the threat to democracy outside internal politics. Real-world backsliding happens within it.