A crucial year
The coming years will be a trying period for our republic. Our freedom and self-government will be tested, potentially to the point of breaking. Every citizen, in ways big and small, will face choice points that could shape whether or not our democracy survives.
If You Can Keep It breaks down the top issues in authoritarianism and democracy in the United States. It is brought to you free of cost by Protect Democracy. But it exists exclusively to equip you with what you need to know about what’s happening in our democracy and what you can do about it.
Our experts go deep on the critical stories and complex issues beyond partisanship and politics. Can elections be conducted freely and fairly? Will the president be constrained by checks & balances? How can we ensure democratic decision-making is based on a shared, fact-based reality? What are the reforms necessary to build a more representative, inclusive, and resilient democracy?
But this is nothing new. Democracy has never been self-sustaining. As Benjamin Franklin famously said — when asked what kind of government the Constitutional Convention had produced — “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
We must find a way.
This briefing is a product of Protect Democracy United, a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization. Learn more.
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People
Ben Raderstorf is a policy advocate at Protect Democracy. He helps direct policy and communications work around systemic threats to American democracy. His writing has been published in The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Bulwark.
Former civil rights prosecutor, current pro-democracy lawyer. K-State/Oxford/Harvard Law grad.
Justin Florence co-founded Protect Democracy and, as Managing Director, oversees the organization’s work to advance its mission, including legal, policy, advocacy and communications strategies.
Conor Gaffney serves as a counsel at Protect Democracy, working to secure accountability for abuses of power.
Chris Crawford is a policy strategist for free & fair elections at Protect Democracy. Through the Faith in Elections project, he works with faith communities across religious traditions and political perspectives to strengthen our elections.
Michael Angeloni is a Research Associate at Protect Democracy. His work focuses on constraining executive overreach and the threats of rising global authoritarianism.
William Ford is a policy advocate at Protect Democracy, where he advocates for measures to protect the civil service and strengthen Congress's constitutional power of the purse.
David Andrew Weinberg is a Policy Strategist at Protect Democracy. He previously served as a Senior Professional Staff Member with the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.
Deborah Apau is a research specialist dedicated to supporting Protect Democracy’s mission of creating a truly representative democracy.
Genevieve Nadeau leads our team focused on defending against a range of authoritarian threats at the state and national levels, using a combination of strategic litigation, policy advocacy, and communications.
Policy Strategist at Protect Democracy. Advocate focused on strengthening checks and balances and building a bigger tent.
John Langford is a counsel who focuses primarily on issues related to the First Amendment, newsgathering, free expression, and disinformation at Protect Democracy.
Jon Steinman is a communications and advocacy strategist at Protect Democracy, focusing on efforts to hold accountable those who undermine democracy. He previously was a journalist, and helped launch and lead the US Office of Congressional Ethics.
Stephanie is Co-Managing Director and a counsel at Protect Democracy. She oversees the strategic direction and organizational development of the organization.
Aisha Woodward leads a team at Protect Democracy focused on constraining the abuse of presidential power, restoring congressional oversight of the executive branch, and growing the pro-democracy coalition.
Alicia Menendez focuses on protecting voting rights and a free and fair elections process.
Jane Petersen Bentrott is a litigator who focuses on combating disinformation that undermines our democracy.
Brittany Williams is a litigator who focuses on combating disinformation that undermines our democracy.
Shanna Singh Hughey is a policy strategist at Protect Democracy who focuses on preventing an autocratic president from dismantling our democracy.
Protect Democracy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit group working to prevent authoritarianism.
Editor at Protect Democracy https://protectdemocracy.org/.
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Prior Bulwark archive here https://www.thebulwark.com/author/amanda-carpenter/
Sohini Desai is a communications specialist at protect democracy who supports policy and strategic communications work around threats to American democracy and democracy-building reforms.
Grant Tudor is a policy advocate with Protect Democracy, where develops and advocates for a range of reforms to shore up our democratic institutions.
Director of Impact Programs & Counsel, Free & Fair Elections @ Protect Democracy
Technology Policy Strategist working to combat anti-democratic applications of technology, including voter suppression and disinformation. Former Facebook.
Ian Bassin is co-founder and Executive Director of Protect Democracy. He previously served as Associate White House Counsel, where he counseled the President and senior White House staff on administrative and constitutional law.
Jennifer Dresden is a policy strategist at Protect Democracy. She was previously a member of the faculty and the Associate Director of the Democracy and Governance Program at Georgetown University.
Anna Dorman is a Counsel at Protect Democracy focused on combating anti-democratic disinformation through litigation and creative advocacy.
Aaron does comms at Protect Democracy, helping spread the message about threats facing American democracy.
Current Counsel at Protect Democracy and former federal civil servant
Communications & Advocacy Strategist at Protect Democracy, specializing in (almost) all things elections, but mostly the National Task Force on Election Crises, preventing certification abuses, the role of data, and state-level dynamics.
Cerin Lindgrensavage is a counsel at Protect Democracy who works on advocacy and research related to reforms of our electoral system, including reforms related to parties and government institutions.
Edgar Lin is Protect Democracy’s Wisconsin lead for policy advocacy and litigation focusing on preventing election subversion. Former trial lawyer (WI public defender / private practice).
Chris Parr is an Impact Specialist at Protect Democracy. He previously served as a legal analyst in the Department of Defense Office of General Counsel and as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Catherine serves as Counsel at Protect Democracy, focusing on protecting voting rights and free and fair elections.
Michael Alexander Sandoval is an Impact Associate at Protect Democracy, where he supports policy and strategic communications work around systemic threats to American democracy, and building the democracy of tomorrow.
Lara Hicks is an Impact Associate at Protect Democracy, where she supports efforts to constrain abuses of executive power.
Mickey Desruisseaux is an attorney who specializes in protecting election officials and voters from threats.
Kenneth Parreno is a Counsel at Protect Democracy focused on combating disinformation through litigation and other forms of advocacy. He is a proud Latino, Texan, and son of immigrants.
Ori Lev is a Special Counsel with Protect Democracy. He previously served in a number of federal government agencies and as a partner at a major international law firm. Ori is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Yale Law School.