Our democracy is facing threats we haven’t seen in generations. Every day, we’re seeing new attacks, from at home and abroad, on our right to free, fair, and fully informed self-government. But together, armed with our Constitution and the rule of law, we can fight back and protect our democracy from those who would do it harm.
As Americans, we have strong tools rooted in our Constitution and system of checks and balances to prevent our democracy from declining into a more authoritarian form of government. With experience upholding the guardrails of democracy in the American government, and working with experts who study the rise and fall of democracies around the world, we’ve identified key areas of risk that need our immediate attention.
History has shown that the best way to protect democracy is by standing united in its defense. Your contribution will help us to scale up our efforts to educate, advocate, organize, and litigate on behalf of the values we all hold dear.
“If a president can command the military and the civil service to break the law, there’s nothing to stop him from arresting his critics or falsifying an election. Even a president who has been democratically elected would then be in danger of overriding the will of the people once he falls out of favor. ”
“Elected authoritarians, as their popularity dwindles and their political allies leave them, often look weak and cornered. Some mistake this as a sign that extra vigilance is no longer warranted. But sometimes, this is precisely when elected authoritarians are most dangerous. ”
“We will put the problem more bluntly. Mr. Trump's suggestion that his Attorney General prosecute his defeated opponent is the kind of crude political retribution one expects in Erdogan's Turkey or Duterte's Philippines. ”
“Something to watch out for going forward would be overt and high-profile efforts to politicize prosecutions and investigations. Official attacks on specific media, such as the slander directed at the New York Times’s Bret Stephens, are also a concerning trend. I would pay attention to public opinion on democracy and toleration of political difference, which has been slipping on both sides of the aisle. ”
Protect Democracy has filed an amicus brief on behalf of constitutional law professors responding to President Trump’s argument that he is immune from suit in state court. The brief, filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York in Zervos v. Trump, is on behalf of…
Protect Democracy wrote an initial post at Take Care to kick off a collaborative discussion on the threats to the free press and dissent under the Trump Administration. A number of esteemed legal and media-focused voices are lined up to participate, and to help develop effective legal protections…
Late last night, five legal groups and scholars filed papers in federal court requesting that Judge Susan Bolton appoint a private attorney to complete the prosecution of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio for contempt of court. The legal request argues that the court should appoint such an attorney after…
