America is still a democracy

Authoritarianism thrives on despair

An abbreviated note instead of a full briefing this week. 

This is a dark moment, made worse by the knowledge that darker ones are coming. 

At its core, democracy is two things: one, the ability of the voters to freely delegate power to the leaders they choose; and, two, a system of checks and rules to limit abuse of that delegated power. 

On Tuesday, the voters freely chose to delegate power to someone who has pledged to attempt to dismantle many parts of that system. 

While that may feel like a contradiction — like it puts all of us who care about and believe in democracy in an impossible bind — it should in fact be clarifying. Our commitment must be to both respect the democratic process and ensure that it endures. 

In the coming weeks and months, we will have lots more on what that looks like, for all of us. But for now, as we collectively face the world as it is, not as we wish it were, a few things to stress. 

First, we have long known that responding to the threat of authoritarianism is a global, and generational, struggle. This has always been much larger than an election — or, indeed, a single politician. Most of us understood that this outcome was probable (read our pre-election explanation of why here), and have been preparing accordingly. We knew we must be ready to vigorously defend and perfect our democracy, regardless of who the president is. 

Second, we don’t get to know how this ends. We never do. I’ll admit that uncertainty is a big part of what makes this moment so hard. It’s more difficult than ever to see a direct path to a vibrant, pluralistic democracy, one where the outcome of elections is both unpredictable and doesn’t feel existential for anyone. But that path was never going to be a straight line. 

Third, and most importantly, know this: Authoritarianism thrives on hopelessness, loneliness, and despair. Our country remains the most spirited, diverse, multifaceted, downright loud civic experiment in world history. That vigor will never be quashed directly or by force — but that doesn’t mean we are safe. 

Historically, when autocracy takes over, it does so by wearing people down, by convincing them through intimidation or exhaustion to retreat from public spaces. To obey in advance. 

If democracy dies in this country, that will be how it happens. 

But that means we also know the antidote. Hold firm to our sense of agency. Embrace our communities, our connections, our networks. Find spaces for resilience and even joy. Make healthy, peaceful, and patriotic noise. 

Again, we’ll spend lots of time in the weeks to come with more detailed analysis of the how, the why, and the what of this election and where we go next. But for now, I’d encourage you — to the degree you can — lean into being with others, in public, proclaiming the values we still share. 

The United States is not an autocracy. It is a republic. If we can keep it. 

We at Protect Democracy believe we can.