Tootfinder

🗷 Gerrymandering erodes confidence in democracy
#politics

Gerrymandering erodes confidence in democracy
When politicians redraw congressional district maps to favor their party, they may secure short-term victories. But those wins can come at a steep price—a loss of public faith in elections and, ultimately, in democracy itself.

From Rev. William Barber, Save America Movement
We stand at a moment of moral crisis in our great country. It is incumbent upon us, The People, to stand up and say this is wrong.
"You've been chosen to make sure that those that would destroy, those that would hate, don't have the final say."
#ResistRepression #Resist

Saturday, March 15, 2025, may have seemed unremarkable to most Americans.
But in time, history will remember it as Black Saturday
—the moment the United States ceased to function as a constitutional democracy.
For the first time in modern American history, a sitting president openly defied a direct federal court order
—and nothing happened.
No intervention. No enforcement. No consequences.
A legal ruling was issued, and the White House simply ignored it

Black Saturday: The Day the United States Ceased to Be a Constitutional Democracy
Black Saturday, March 15, 2025, will be remembered as the day the U.S. ceased to function as a constitutional democracy. A sitting president defied a federal court order, proving that judicial authority no longer constrains executive power. This is not a warning—it is confirmation that democracy has already collapsed.

BREAKING: Democracy Forward Sues DOJ and FBI to Enforce FOIA Compliance Over Withheld Records Relating to Epstein
https://michaelpopok.substack.com/p/breaking-democracy-forward-sues-doj

It's not hyperbole to say that what we in the Fediverse are doing to build decentralized social media is important for the future of liberal democracy.
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/08/05/take-back-our-digital-infrastructure-to-save-democracy/

By-the-way, it is clear that we are experiencing the end of Democracy and rise of Dictatorship in the US.
We have long observed the rise of large corporations as a class of privileged nobility.
And now we are watching the onset of governance by artificial "intelligence".
Perhaps we will resume democracy, but unless we change our ground rules - such as our Constitution - the power of corporations and, now, AI's will remain a serious problem.
So I will men…

Deliberative democracy.
Podcast worth listening to:
https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/political-philosophy-podcast/id1365725211?l=en-GB&i=1000725384670

Can Deliberation Save Democracy? with James S. Fishkin
Podcast Episode · Political Philosophy Podcast · 07/09/2025 · 54m

Prompt Injection Vulnerability of Consensus Generating Applications in Digital Democracy
Jairo Gudi\~no-Rosero, Cl\'ement Contet, Umberto Grandi, C\'esar A. Hidalgo
https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.04281

Prompt Injection Vulnerability of Consensus Generating Applications in Digital Democracy
Large Language Models (LLMs) are gaining traction as a method to generate consensus statements and aggregate preferences in digital democracy experiments. Yet, LLMs may introduce critical vulnerabilities in these systems. Here, we explore the impact of prompt-injection attacks targeting consensus generating systems by introducing a four-dimensional taxonomy of attacks. We test these attacks using LLaMA 3.1 8B and Chat GPT 4.1 Nano finding the LLMs more vulnerable to criticism attacks -- attacks…

'Archivist fired by Trump launches a national effort to strengthen democracy': 'On Constitution Day, Shogan launched a national bipartisan effort called "More Perfect" to work on strengthening democracy' https://www.pbs.org/newsho…

Archivist fired by Trump launches a national effort to strengthen democracy
Colleen Shogan made history when she became the first woman to serve as Archivist of the United States in 2023. In February, President Trump fired her with no reason given. On Constitution Day, Shogan launched a national bipartisan effort called "More Perfect" to work on strengthening democracy. Amna Nawaz reports for our series, Art in Action, and our arts and culture coverage, CANVAS.

https://terikanefield.com/whyextremismhappens

Why Intolerance and Extremism Happen (and how to protect democracy in a divided world) - Teri Kanefield
Hello, and welcome. I plan to take on some big questions, including: Why do some people spiral into extremism? Why does democracy seem perpetually on the brink? Why are we so divided? What can we do to protect democracy in a divided world? To answer these questions, I’ve pulled insights from political psychologists, neuroscientists, American […]

Democracy Noir, the 90-minute documentary
– opening in the US this week and portraying Orbšn’s creeping authoritarian takeover of an erstwhile liberal democracy through the eyes of three women;
Timea Szabó, an opposition politician,
Babette Oroszi, a television journalist,
and Niko Antal, a nurse
– has universal resonance and urgent relevance for American audiences grappling with the consequences of Trump.
“I’d say this is the most ‘hitting the zeitgeist’…

Carville: Democrats have to add states, expand Supreme Court to 'save democracy' (Ashleigh Fields/The Hill)
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5442239-carville-democrats-states-supreme-court/
http://www.memeorandum.com/250807/p157#a250807p157

“We don’t take lessons in democracy from those who kill civilians and children standing in food lines.”
– Athens Mayor Haris Doukas
https://qudsnen.co/israeli-embassy-staff-evacuated-from-greece-as-protests-intensify-over-gaza-ge…

Israeli Embassy Staff Evacuated from Greece as Protests Intensify over Gaza Genocide
Athens (Quds News Network)- Israeli embassy staff in Greece have been evacuated from their homes in Athens. The decision follows protests and rising anger over Israel’s genocide in Gaza. A senior Isra

Event: Religion and Democratic Ideals: Reproductive Healthcare Access and White Nationalism
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2024, 6 – 7:30PM This event is free and open to the public. A liberal democracy should produce societies that are inclusive, equitable, dynamic, and responsive to the needs of citizens. This series will focus on where religion intersects with democratic ideals and institutions. We will discuss the outcomes we want from a democratic system and how such an…

Part of me wants to end democracy so that fash can't vote. But I don't trust the current left to be good dictators.
If only I and people who thought like me solely held political office.

The #US got #democracy wrong. It's not one vote per dollar, it's one vote per person.
http://talkwards.c…

A New Digital Divide? Coder Worldviews, the Slop Economy, and Democracy in the Age of AI
Jason Miklian, Kristian Hoelscher
https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.04755 https://

A New Digital Divide? Coder Worldviews, the Slop Economy, and Democracy in the Age of AI
Digital technologies are transforming democratic life in conflicting ways. This article bridges two perspectives to unpack these tensions. First, we present an original survey of software developers in Silicon Valley, interrogating how coder worldviews, ethics, and workplace cultures shape the democratic potential and social impact of the technologies they build. Results indicate that while most developers recognize the power of their products to influence civil liberties and political discours…

This is the President of the United States and his Administration.
Freedom loving Americans need to figure out how they will take back their democracy when he refuses to hold fair Congressional elections next year.
He will use the military.
Will the military obey?
#uspoli #usa

If by American democracy we mean a pluralistic, multiracial society of political and social equals, then American democracy as we know it began with the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 60 years ago today.
Under the current Supreme Court’s vision of a rigidly colorblind Constitution
— indifferent to either racial inequality or the mechanisms of color caste
— the Voting Rights Act is very likely toast.
There is also the matter of Chief Justice John Roberts, wh…

Opinion | Donald Trump and John Roberts Have a Lot in Common
The Supreme Court may extinguish a law that more than any other made the promise of American democracy a reality.

Maybe Musk saw how easily democracy can be destroyed in a federation of 50 states?

Missouri Dems Hold Sit-In for 100 Hours to Protest GOP Assault on Democracy | Common Dreams
https://www.commondreams.org/news/missouri-congressional-map

«The whole thing is a mess and yet another embarrassment for the UK. And they were all warned about it, while insisting these concerns were exaggerations. But this isn’t just about the UK—it’s a cautionary tale for every democracy grappling with how to regulate the internet»
Go UK, "yet another embarrassment" is just too fitting 😅
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/08/04/didnt-take-long-to-reveal-the-uks-online-safety-act-is-exactly-the-privacy-crushing-failure-everyone-warned-about/

US sides with El Salvador on eliminating presidential term limits, prompting democracy debate (CNN)
https://cnn.com/2025/08/06/world/el-salvador-eliminating-presidential-term-limits-intl-latam
http://www.memeorandum.com/250807/p52#a250807p52

Because calling for one's political opponents to be incarcerated is a perfectly normal and healthy part of a liberal democracy. 🙃
#uspol

To the GenZ & GenAlpha... I'm so sorry.
I hope you all grow up w/ a better sense of civic duty & what it means to be a Republic than previous generations did.
Take heart in knowing the dumbassed male Boomers & GenX like me will all be dead by then.
That is, if we're still a democracy. 😕

Democracy and Russian propaganda: How the Kremlin spreads lies about Ukrainian protests: https://benborges.xyz/2025/07/26/democracy-and-russian-propaganda-how.html

"I was elected mayor of Istanbul, but I write this from jail: Turkish democracy is under grave threat"
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/sep/24/mayor-istanbul-jail-ekrem-imamoglu-turkey-democracy

A brief explainer of how chief justice John Roberts became the main actor in dismantling US democracy
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/10/supreme-court-john-roberts-lisa-graves/

Taking stock of the Roberts court at 20—and the shadowy forces that built it
"Roberts will go down in history as the most destructive chief justice."

Like put Wikibase in the fediverse already, come on!
What?
Are you waiting for the downfall of democracy first?
GET ON IT!
#fediverse #Wikibase #GetOnIt

Warnings From Weimar. Why Bargaining With Authoritarians Fails.
#weimar

Warnings From Weimar
Why bargaining with authoritarians fails.

The Most Important Election In 2025 | Rep. Mikie Sherrill by Democracy Docket
#NewJersey

By the by, that “nuclear reactor on the moon:” story is another distraction from them ending what ever is left of democracy in Texas and from the president being a pedophile.

**Appeals Court Rejects Trump’s Attempt to Fire FTC Commissioner** - Democracy Docket
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/appeals-court-rejects-trumps-attempt-to-fire-ftc-commissioner/

I have signed this petition, together with hundreds of other experienced correspondents, photographers and media professionals. We demand immediate authorization to enter Gaza and report independently. https://freedomtoreport.org/

Freedom To Report : Gaza Mission
media enquiries: gazapressmission@pm.me Instagram The Issue What’s happening in Gaza today reveals a far broader crisis: the erosion of press freedom as a pillar of democracy. The people most directly affected are not only the millions of civilians in Gaza enduring war beyond public scrutiny, but also global citizens everywhere whose right to receive free […]

"The United States, just months before its 250th birthday as the world’s leading democracy [sic], has tipped over the edge into authoritarianism and fascism. In the end, faster than I imagined possible, it did happen here.
'America' (i.e. the USA) Tips Into Fascism
https://www.

America Tips Into Fascism
Today is different than before.

Utah Map 'Unduly Favors Republicans,' Claims New Filing Challenging GOP's Two-Pronged Gerrymander Scheme (Matt Cohen/Democracy Docket)
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/utah-map-unduly-favors-republicans-claims-new-filing-challenging-gops-two-pronged-gerrymander-scheme/
http://www.memeorandum.com/251007/p121#a251007p121

„MAGA seems to think it can begin with coercion and then build hegemony. But they may be making the same mistake the Leninist parties did in the West: pursuing an insurrectionary politics unsuited to the terrain of an advanced liberal democracy with a developed civil society. They are pursuing what Gramsci called the “war of maneuver”—rapid, lightning assaults—rather than the “war of position”—a gradual and more deliberate kind of approach.“

The Texas redistricting hearing started on Wednesday in El Paso.
Democracy Docket is covering it every day like it is the most important case for free and for elections in the country
-- because it is.
Legacy media is no where to be found.
Support the DD team to make it possible.
https://hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0

Subscribe to Democracy Docket
Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the latest in the fight for our democracy in the courts.

This #WaPo slogan is outdated.
Democracy dies in darkness was the official slogan of the American newspaper The Washington Post since 2017. It was meant to symbolise that a thriving democracy requires transparency and illumination of government actions and decisions. The slogan underscores the role of journalism in holding power accountable by shining a light on public officials and decision…

⚖️ Inequality, pollution, and democracy levels shape how quickly populations age: Study
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-inequality-pollution-democracy-quickly-populations.html

Inequality, pollution, and democracy levels shape how quickly populations age: Study
A groundbreaking international study of 161,981 participants across 40 countries published in Nature Medicine reveals that air pollution, social inequality, and weak democratic institutions substantially accelerate aging. The collaborative study involves leading researchers from the Global Brain Health Institute in Trinity College Dublin.

As the guardrails of American #democracy
fall one by one, #DJT is on the brink of becoming a #Dictator
Will he be
stopped?

She "emphasizes the importance of embracing a cacophony of voices in the fight against the rigid and coordinated forces of the Christian right. She advocates for a coalition that includes people of various faiths and those with no faith at all, working together to uphold the values of a multiracial democracy."
How the Christian Right is Taking Over America with Talia Lavin
https://religionnews.com/2025/09/06/how-the-christian-right-is-taking-over-america-with-talia-lavin/

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said on X on Saturday that Trump’s threats
“are beneath the honor of our nation,
but the reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution.”

“We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism
by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump,” Johnson wrote.

Largely peaceful protests broke out across the city on Saturday,
with thousands of marchers taking over Michigan Avenue demandin…

Trump border czar warns sanctuary cities nationwide to ‘expect action’
The Trump administration plans federal action in cities with immigrant-friendly policies nationwide to support immigration enforcement, according to border czar Tom Homan.

Democracy-in-Silico: Institutional Design as Alignment in AI-Governed Polities
Trisanth Srinivasan, Santosh Patapati
https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.19562 https://

Democracy-in-Silico: Institutional Design as Alignment in AI-Governed Polities
This paper introduces Democracy-in-Silico, an agent-based simulation where societies of advanced AI agents, imbued with complex psychological personas, govern themselves under different institutional frameworks. We explore what it means to be human in an age of AI by tasking Large Language Models (LLMs) to embody agents with traumatic memories, hidden agendas, and psychological triggers. These agents engage in deliberation, legislation, and elections under various stressors, such as budget cris…

#lectrr #cartoon #democracy

"Yes, the union movement squandered the Biden years, refusing to spend its record-setting cash reserves on organizing, despite the millions of workers begging to join unions. But workplace democracy remains the only way that we ever have defeated capital (or ever will), so join a union, form a union, support a union:
https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/29/which-side-are-you-on-2/#strike-three-yer-out"
- @…
https://pluralistic.net/2025/07/31/unsatisfying-answers/#systemic-problems

A look at how the Canadian Journalism Collective has distributed Google's annual CA$100M payment under the Online News Act; 400 outlets have received funds (Gretel Kahn/Reuters Institute)
https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.a

"Protests in Serbia: a battle for democracy that the EU must not ignore"
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/aug/25/the-guardian-view-on-protests-in-serbia-a-battle-for-democracy-that-the…

Plane has been spotted near Trenton NJ
“First in Playbook: An anonymous group of self-described democracy advocates will fly planes with banners that say “mess with Texas” tomorrow over blue state capital cities: Albany, Annapolis, Augusta, Trenton, Springfield and Sacramento, according to a person briefed on the matter.”

In Ukraine, democracy finds its fiercest defenders: https://benborges.xyz/2025/08/18/in-ukraine-democracy-finds-its.html

Well, the zoo was forced to pick a terrible name for its newest member. 😠
I tell ya, democracy isn't all it's cracked up to be. 🥺 🗳️
#zoo #popularity #voting #naming

Der Thread von @… über die Zerstörung des US-Amerikanischen Rechtsstaats.
Vorbereitet wurde das mit einer gezielten Besetzung des US-Verfassungsgerichts mit Trumps Handlangern in seiner ersten Amtszeit.
Ein Spiel das CDU und CSU derzeit auch spielen: sie versuchen die Besetzung des deutschen Verfassungsgerichts mit Richter*innen, die nicht auf Partei- son…

toad.social
Mastodon server operated by David Troy, a tech pioneer and investigative journalist addressing threats to democracy. Thoughtful participation and discussion welcome.

The Gaza Genocide Is a Test for American Democracy (Jeet Heer/The Nation)
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/gaza-american-democracy-test/
http://www.memeorandum.com/250804/p55#a250804p55

ProfCiara talks with CREW's Donald Sherman about seeking legal and constitutional consequences for the January 6th Insurrection at the Capitol using the 14th Amendment's Section 3 -- aka the Disqualification Clause
https://m.soundcloud.com/profciara/democracy-destiny-…

The EU is pushing to scan ALL private messages, even encrypted ones, endangering privacy, security, and fundamental freedoms across 450 million people.
This is mass surveillance disguised as child protection, and it breaks encryption, risks false accusations, and threatens democracy worldwide.
Learn more & act NOW: https://fightchatcontrol…

I know that many people here pay attention to branding. So you might want to have a look at this, about the well-underway “transformation of politics into branding, and of the nation into a stage set for performance.”
nytimes.com -

Opinion | The East Wing Ballroom is Trump’s Raw Display of Power
The president is refashioning his residence into a palace. Our democracy is now a members-only club.

Police arrested over 40 people outside the Trump International Hotel in New York City
as hundreds gathered for a peaceful action led by Jewish leaders
calling for the end to Israel’s starvation and ethnic cleansing of Gaza.
Democracy Now! was at the demonstration and spoke to some of the protesters,
including Motaz Azaiza, renowned photojournalist from Gaza,
and Rabbi Ari Lev Fornari, who was arrested.
“We’re here to say, ‘Let Gaza live,’ to risk everyt…

“End the Starvation”: Jewish Rabbis & Allies Outside NY Trump Hotel Call for U.S. to Stop Arming Israel
Police arrested over 40 people outside the Trump International Hotel in New York City as hundreds gathered for a peaceful action led by Jewish leaders calling for the end to Israel’s starvation and ethnic cleansing of Gaza. Democracy Now! was at the demonstration and spoke to some of the protesters, including Motaz Azaiza, renowned photojournalist from Gaza, and Rabbi Ari Lev Fornari, who was arrested. “We’re here to say, 'Let Gaza live,' to risk everything to say, 'Never again,'” says …

True North Issues New Primer on the Authoritarian Infrastructure in the U.S. #Press #Journalism #Authoritarian

Look at what Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Stephen Breyer said about 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥. >>
🔴 “The Court’s ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation.” 
🔴 “A democracy cannot function effectively when its constituent members believe laws are being bought and sold.”  
🔴 “Legal entities like corporations … are not ‘We the People’ for whom our Constitution was established.”  
𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻…

Donate to Transparent Election Initiative
Show your support with a contribution.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators surged down 16th Street toward the White House on Saturday.
It was the city’s first major organized protest since Trump declared a state of emergency and unleashed federal troops onto its streets.
Banners waved and voices rose in unison at the
“We Are All D.C.” march,
a massive show of resistance led by a coalition that included
Free DC, defenders of local self-rule,
Democracy Forward,
and the American Civil Libert…

'We Are All DC ': Tens of Thousands March to White House | Common Dreams
D.C.rallies against Trump’s troops as more cities targeted

The Supreme Court v. Democracy (Elie Mystal/The Nation)
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/supreme-court-term-worst-cases/
http://www.memeorandum.com/251006/p85#a251006p85

Trump is not the actual problem. The problem are all those people that enable him. And John Roberts stands out as someone that has the pretence of integrity (which nobody in MAGA or TESCREAL has), yet is going at great lengths to destroy the checks and balances of American democracy.
https://

The Roberts Court Is Winning Its War on American Democracy
Chief Justice John Roberts has now overseen 20 years of increasingly illiberal rulings by the Supreme Court.

Worth a read...
"What Exactly Is Required to Preserve Our Democracy?"
https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/archive/2025/07/what-exactly-is-required-to-preserve-our-democracy/683492/

What Exactly Is Required to Preserve Our Democracy?
It will take a “total mobilization of our forces,” in the words of new Autocracy in America host Garry Kasparov.

The Trump Administration Wants Your Voter Registration Data. Why? (Matt Cohen/Democracy Docket)
https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/the-trump-administration-wants-your-voter-registration-data-why/
http://www.memeorandum.com/250906/p45#a250906p45

We are in the midst of a surge of political violence
from the horrific killings of the former Speaker of the Minnesota House and her husband
to increasing clashes with ICE agents.
Trump wants this violence to excuse him to impose even more authoritarian control over his enemies.
We dive deep into it this week as he threatens to send thousands of Federal agents and the military to Chicago. -- A city that is literally over three times larger than his practice exercis…

Trump wants violence in the streets
Podcast Episode · On Democracy with FPWellman · 09/05/2025 · 54m

Netanyahu: “Palestine is ours, regardless of what the people there want.”
Yes, these enemies of democracy must all be defeated.
#israel #genocide #ethnicCleansing

😎 How do politicians view democracy? It depends on whether they win or lose
#politics

How do politicians view democracy? It depends on whether they win or lose
There is a heightened concern about the current state of democracy around the globe. These include worries about a decrease in freedom, the growing number of autocracies around the world and citizens' dissatisfaction with democracy or government.

‘Point of no return’ — Ukraine’s democracy under threat as new bill guts anti-corruption efforts: https://benborges.xyz/2025/07/22/point-of-no-return-ukraines.html

America has gone from promoting democracy abroad to undermining it (Max Boot/Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/09/02/trump-rubio-foreign-policy-democracy/
http://www.memeorandum.com/250902/p16#a250902p16

"The degree of equality of women within countries predicts best—better than their degree of democracy and better than their level of wealth, income inequality or ethno-religious identity—how peaceful or conflict-ridden their countries are. Further, democracies with higher levels of violence against women are less stable and more likely to choose force rather than diplomacy to resolve conflict."
The Mortal Sins of Patriarchy
https://www.juancole.com/2025/10/mortal-sins-patriarchy.html

Every Tuesday afternoon in Santa Barbara, a quiet civic revolution unfolds at the welcoming home of Neil and Beryl Kreisel.
For years, Beryl
— a highly respected psychotherapist and beloved community connector
— has hosted a vibrant gathering with a clear mission:
getting out the vote in key districts,
one handwritten postcard at a time.
Co-hosted by Michele Cuttler, a passionate attorney and longtime democracy advocate,
this weekly tradition is bo…

Tuesdays at Beryl’s: Afternoon Sessions Writing Postcards for Democracy
This Santa Barbara ritual is fueled by passion, outrage, love, and deep connection.

Few countries are more aware of the fragility of democracy than Poland.
45 years ago, Lech Walesa started Poland's Solidarity Movement, stared down the Soviet Union, and became his country's first democratically elected president.
He joins the show from Phoenix, Arizona to discuss today's dangers and his own extraordinary personal and political story.
Christiane Amanpour is fixated on history, which is important, but 82 year old Lech Walesa is not having it…

US Senator Blumenthal warns Zelensky over anti-graft law, backs protests as 'democracy in action': https://benborges.xyz/2025/07/26/us-senator-blumenthal-warns-zelensky.html

😰 Americans worry democracy is in danger amid gerrymandering fights, poll finds
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/22/world/politics/gerrymandering-us-democracy-danger-poll/
🆓

Americans worry democracy is in danger amid gerrymandering fights, poll finds
As Texas Republicans redraw the state's congressional maps to benefit their party, California Democrats threaten to respond in kind.

Meet Adam Kincaid: The Hidden Hand Behind the Texas GOP's Redistricting Power Grab (Yunior Rivas/Democracy Docket)
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/meet-adam-kincaid-the-hidden-hand-behind-the-texas-gops-redistricting-power-grab/
http://www.memeorandum.com/250805/p125#a250805p125

Donald Trump has figured out the cheat code for authoritarianism:
Fake emergencies bring real power.
The president has invoked emergency authority in three distinct contexts
—declaring a public-safety emergency to defend his takeover of the District of Columbia;
claiming an “invasion” to justify an immigration crackdown, including sending the National Guard to Los Angeles;
and invoking “extraordinary” factors to support his tariff war.
Although Trump is no…

Fake Emergencies—Real-World Power
Today, the structure of law granting exceptional emergency powers is a grave threat to democracy and an avenue toward authoritarian rule.

Mr. Holder, the attorney general in the Obama administration, has long fought to end gerrymandered legislative maps.
But a Republican effort in Texas threatens democracy, he said in an interview.
https://www.nytimes.com…

Eric Holder on Why He Reversed Course on Gerrymandering
Mr. Holder, the attorney general in the Obama administration, has long fought to end gerrymandered legislative maps. But a Republican effort in Texas threatens democracy, he said in an interview.

Democracy Docket has a reporter in the courtroom covering the Texas redistricting hearing every single day.
Meanwhile, the big legacy media is nowhere to be found.
At stake are 5 congressional seats.
If this matters more than both sides journalism, become a DD subscriber today.
https://hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0

Missouri Begins GOP Gerrymander to Help Trump Rig 2026 Election (Jen Rice/Democracy Docket)
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/missouri-begins-gop-gerrymander-to-help-trump-rig-2026-election/
http://www.memeorandum.com/250904/p116#a250904p116

China is undertaking a large-scale build-out of infrastructure along its eastern coast,
including air and naval sites that show its growing readiness for a potential conflict over Taiwan.
Satellite images and other open-source material examined by The Wall Street Journal illustrate how these facilities would strengthen China’s hand if it launched an invasion of the island democracy.
Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and has pledged to take it, by force if necessary.

Does It Matter? Trump Keeps Losing on Immigration in the Courts (Democracy Now)
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/9/3/national_guard_immigration
http://www.memeorandum.com/250903/p165#a250903p165

31 Days of Action – All August!
Funding cuts. Banned words. Fired public servants.
Trump & his cronies are dismantling America’s greatest experiment - our democracy - & with it, science.
Between now & Sept 30th we decide: Are we a democracy… or an oligarchy?
https://

Senate Confirms Election Denying Fox Host as DC US Attorney (Jim Saksa/Democracy Docket)
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/senate-confirms-election-denying-fox-host-as-dc-us-attorney/
http://www.memeorandum.com/250802/p62#a250802p62

First Circuit Rebukes Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order as Unconstitutional (Yunior Rivas/Democracy Docket)
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/first-circuit-rebukes-trumps-birthright-citizenship-order-as-unconstitutional/
http://www.memeorandum.com/251003/p112#a251003p112

Reminder that most of our political rules & institutions are purely extra-constitutional norms,
held together by shared beliefs in democracy & a lot of duct tape,
& we’re all out of shared norms
& have shredded our last rolls of tape.
“Democracy is a system in which parties lose elections”
h…

Norm Ornstein (@normornstein.bsky.social)
The constitution does not explicitly say that members have to be sworn in by the Speaker. [contains quote post or other embedded content]

"Attack on Free Speech": Journalist Mario Guevara Deported After Covering Anti-Trump Protest (Democracy Now)
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/10/3/mario_guevara_deportation_freedom_of_press
http://www.memeorandum.com/251003/p129#a251003p129

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is doubling down on his threat to overhaul the state's independent redistricting process,
escalating a political standoff with Texas Republicans that's becoming a flashpoint in the fight for control of Congress.
This week, the Texas Legislature kicked off a special session where redistricting is on the table,
🆘as Republicans reevaluate their congressional maps to help the GOP retain its slim House majority after the 2026 midterms.
A…

Newsom calls GOP's push to redraw TX congressional maps an 'existential crisis to democracy'
Newsom told reporters the GOP's push to redraw congressional maps in Texas is a "five-alarm fire for democracy in the United States" and is doubling down on his threat to overhaul California's redistricting process.

Cleta Mitchell Thinks Trump Will Use Emergency Powers to Take Control of Elections (Matt Cohen/Democracy Docket)
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/cleta-mitchell-thinks-trump-will-use-emergency-powers-to-take-control-of-elections/
http://www.memeorandum.com/250903/p153#a250903p153

Appeals Court Panel Blocks Trump's Use of Wartime Law Targeting Venezuelan Immigrants (Jacob Knutson/Democracy Docket)
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/fifth-circuit-rejects-trump-alien-enemies-act-invocation/
http://www.memeorandum.com/250903/p45#a250903p45

The past week has revealed Trump’s road map to one-party rule.
https://www.vox.com/politics/462076/trump-democracy-jimmy-kimmel-charlie-kirk

This is how Trump ends democracy
The past week has revealed Trump’s policy road map to veto one-party rule. Will Americans let him follow it?

The state of checks and balances in the country is among the more ominous indicators of the health of America’s democracy:
in the executive branch is a president who is keen on exercising every lever of power that he has
– as well as some he does not
– to enrich himself and his allies
and to suppress dissent and political opposition.
The legislature is dominated by a regime-friendly political party
that is too happy to roll over and accede to the preside…

What Can I Do Right Now to Defend Democracy and Fight Fascism?
https://www.peoplefor.org/what-can-i-do-right-now-defend-democracy-and-fight-fascism

What Can I Do Right Now to Defend Democracy and Fight Fascism?
Learn about ways you can take action right now to combat the spread of fascism in the United States.

When Donald Trump didn’t like the weak jobs numbers that were released on Friday, he fired the person responsible for producing them.
It was a move with few precedents in the century-long history of economic statistics in the United States.
And for good reason: When political leaders meddle in government data, it rarely ends well.
Perhaps most famously, there is the case of Argentina, which in the 2000s and 2010s systematically understated inflation figures to such a degre…

Trump Fired America’s Economic Data Collector. History Shows the Perils.
Economists say unbiased data is essential for policymaking, and for democracy.

Folks look at you like you’re crazy when you say we’re in the midst of the worst, most unprecedented Article I constitutional crisis in 🇺🇸 history, & then, well, here we are:
-- Mark Copelovitch
https://bsky.app/profile/mclem.org/post/3m27pjeavrs27

Michael Clemens (@mclem.org)
The US Congress created, mandated, and funded the agencies of the Executive Branch of the US government. No Liberal or Conservative president has any power, any authority, any right to amputate them at will. This lawless rampage is shredding our Constitutional order and poisoning our democracy. [contains quote post or other embedded content]

Antiwar activists led by @jvp.bsky.social occupied the lobby of the New York offices of
Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand on Friday
to denounce their votes against halting arms shipments to Israel.
Banging pots and pans, they chanted
"Stop starving Gaza!" and
"Never again for anyone!"

The lesson of Hungary is this:
We cannot claim to care about democracy only when it costs nothing.
Trump, like Orban, no doubt believes that everyone can be bought.
America’s elites are proving him right.
There is a Hungarian phrase I heard often: “Van az a penz” — “There’s always a price.”
If we’re serious about defending democracy, it’s not enough to hold our government accountable in court.
Lawsuits against the Trump administration are fine,
b…

Opinion | I Watched It Happen in Hungary. Now It’s Happening Here.
The real danger of a strongman isn’t his tactics; it’s how others, especially those with power, justify their acquiescence.

🗓️ 31 Days of Action Start TODAY
https://skywriter.blue/pages/did:plc:x7irsqqhp64woalar7obnnft/post/3lve3vwydqs22
This month, Congress is home
- meaning we have access.
We’re launching daily bite-sized actions to defend federal R…