The Democracy Endgame

The threats to our democracy did not end with the 2020 election. Authoritarian politics continue to fester, especially at the state level, and could very well return to the White House. A coordinated, long-term, and nationwide strategy is very likely needed to protect and perfect our democratic institutions.

To help write the next chapter in the grand strategy against authoritarianism, Protect Democracy invited some of the country’s top democracy scholars to an essay and discussion series titled Democracy Endgame: The Grand Strategy Against Authoritarianism in the U.S.

Note: These essays reflect solely the viewpoint of their author and not of their affiliated institutions or of Protect Democracy.

Essays

In this essay and discussion series, scholars propose medium and long-term strategies to protect and rebuild American democracy. They consider critical questions like:

  • How should pro-democracy actors in government, civil society, the private sector, media, and academia orient their strategy over the coming years and decades?
  • What are the longer-term goals when it comes to rebuilding democratic society on cultural and institutional levels?
  • Are there key inflection points between progress towards a more inclusive democracy and a return to backsliding?
  • What do good outcomes in the medium- and long-term look like? And what are the off-ramps for authoritarian-leaning actors, factions, and voters in the United States?

These essays reflect solely the viewpoints of their authors and not of their affiliated institutions or of Protect Democracy.

Related Content

Current United States Authoritarian Threat Index score: 2.4/5 Significant Threat •

The Score Breakdown

  • Executive Constraints 2.5/5 • Significant Threat
  • Treatment of Media 2.5/5 • Significant Threat