On August 19, Protect Democracy and Vox hosted a briefing on where the country stands after our 250th anniversary and the structural reforms that could make our government more representative, functional, and less vulnerable to manipulation by autocrats. Throughout our history, the American public has responded to abuses of power from our political leaders — from the Gilded Age to Watergate — with reforms that strengthened our democracy. Now we stand on the precipice of the “after-Trump” era with weakened institutions and a civil society that demands better.
The question before us is what we build when we get there — after we navigate the immediate threats facing the midterm elections.
Experts discussed the administration’s threats to the November elections, lessons learned from other countries that have experienced democratic crises, and how structural reforms like proportional representation could renew our democracy and end the gerrymandering wars.
Amanda Carpenter summed up what everyone needs to know about the midterms:
“If Donald Trump doesn’t accept the results, so what? He is not in charge of calling the results. We have a wonderful system in our country where... the elections are run by the states and our localities... they are not run by the federal government.”
And as for what needs to happen next? It starts with something Zack Beauchamp said:
“No country has an electoral system like the American one. It's really weird.”
See if you agree. Let us know what you think in the comments.
This event follows Vox’s series, America after Trump: How democracies fall — and how they can come back. Articles, video explainers, and podcasts highlighting big ideas for shaping the democracy of tomorrow.
