There are certainly an eerie amount of similarities between the pressures and tensions in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC that brought down the Roman Republic, and the pressures and tensions we seem to face in modern America. Here are some important examples:
1) Economic Inequality - Rome faced severe economic inequality during the late Republic, as many of the rural farmers became simply unable to afford their farms in the aftermath of the Punic Wars. Wealthy patricians constructed lavish villas and estates in the Italian countryside, while many plebeians were reduced to poverty and moved to Rome in desperate search of work. A mass import of slave labor from conquered lands also put many Italian farmers out of work, and this was extremely destabilizing to a society where the vast majority of work involved agriculture. We are rapidly approaching the worst economic inequalities we have seen in America since the Great Depression and even the Gilded Age. Many young people with full-time jobs can't afford housing, and AI threatens to eliminate many jobs.
2) Significant Escalation in Political Violence - The Gracchi brothers attempted to institute populist political reforms in the late 2nd century BC, but the senatorial elites conspired against them and ultimately assassinated both of them. This was unprecedented, and led to subsequent violence in the following decades. Roman generals such as Marius, Sulla, and Julius Caesar all entered Rome at the head of armies and instituted their political goals with force and violence. Others like Catiline attempted to do so, and failed. The respect for decorum and authority was replaced by brute force. In recent years, America has also seen a scary escalation in political violence, with rioting and multiple assassination attempts. People seem to rapidly be losing faith in our governmental institutions, and the approval rating of Congress was at an all-time low a few years ago.
3) Questions over Identity - The questions of identity and Roman citizenship became a significant issue in the late Roman Republic. Rome's Italian allies became tired of not having all the same rights as Roman citizens, which led to a sort of Italian civil war from 91-87 BC called the Social War. Rome was rapidly becoming a multi-ethnic empire as it cemented dominance over the Mediterranean world. Politicians often exploited this for political gain, such as Julius Caesar packing the senate with loyal Gauls, which caused outrage in Rome. In America, our national identity has drastically changed since immigration laws were changed in 1965. Immigration from Asia and Latin America in the United States, both legal and illegal, has significantly changed our demographics and culture. Many Americans resent the strain illegal immigration has put on our economy, and even legal forms of immigration, such as H1-B temporary workers, have come under scrutiny in recent years, as many young Americans struggle to find employment.
