So, how do we strengthen democracy?
The cure for what ails us is more democracy, or what Obama calls “citizenship”:
If the universe is unfolding as it should, Trump awakened enough people from complacency and spurred us to treasure our democracy and take the necessary steps to preserve it.
Need some ideas?
#1: Run for Something (or help someone else run for something)
Want to really make a difference in politics and government? Don’t just march, run for something.
Make sure things are done right. Be the person in charge.
If you can’t run for something, find someone you know who would be terrific, and encourage that person to run. You can also volunteer to help Run for Something screen candidates.
If you are in California, check out Close The Gap, a group trying to elect more women to office.
#2: Be a Community Organizer
Do you have a talent for organizing? If so, democracy needs you. One reason the Tea Party was successful was that they organized locally and put pressure on local officials.
Want to join an existing group? Here’s a list.
#3: Register New Voters
Start now. It’s not too early. In some states, you can become an official volunteer voter registrar. James Williams in Maryland told how he did it in his state.
#4: Be An Institutionalist
Our democratic institutions are under attack. So what should you do? Defend them. Defend Institutions is #2 on @TimothyDSnyder‘s list in his book, On Tyranny.
What’s an institutionalist and how do you become one? See this post.
#5: If you are a teacher consider an assignment requiring students to advocate on behalf of an issue of their choice. . .
. . . or allow / encourage your students to substitute an assignment with a civic engagement activity of some kind. They are the future. Empower them.
#6: Also, if you’re a teacher, assign novels and stories about real-life young people who step up and do what the adults seem unable to manage
Just look at the Parkland students, who, incidentally, were raised on a steady stream of dystopian novels in which young people save the nation.
7: Become a Social Engineer
What do I mean? See this post.
#8: Help People Become Citizens
Support low-cost immigration services, volunteer at an organization such as CUNY Citizenship, or at organizations that tutor English and civics for the naturalization test.
#9: Subscribe to local newspapers and national journals that do good investigative reporting
If everyone does this, lots of money will get pumped into news reporting. We need good reporters.
#10: Get involved with your local elections
Good poll workers help voters vote. Bad poll workers make it harder for people to vote. Hence the need for good poll workers. If the 2020 election fiasco taught us anything it’s the importance of the people who administer elections and count the votes.
Now that Trump is out of office, the biggest danger we’re facing is at the state and local level as extremists are trying to make it harder for people to vote. They also want state legislatures to be able to overturn the vote if they don’t like the results. (What the legislatures will say is that there was some kind of fraud). This will allow legislatures to overrule the popular vote and substitute their own slate of electors to represent who they claim really won the election. This basically what some states tried to do in 2020, but couldn’t do it. The courts stopped them. Now they’re trying to change the law in their state so they can do this.
For information, start here.
#11: Make your views known
Put a sign on your lawn.
The Democratic Coalition keeps a list and easy instructions for how to let your representatives know how you feel. The info is here.
Americans of Conscience has ideas for letters you can write to elected officials.
#12: Take lots of mental health breaks
If you spend too much time on social media and you feel upset, get away from the screen. There are outrage merchants who get clicks and hook people by keeping them frightened. Fox News also hooks people by playing on their fears. Yes, democracy is fragile. That is not new. It’s always been fragile, it’s just that a lot of people didn’t realize it before.
In fact, America really didn’t start becoming a true liberal democracy until after the modern civil rights and women’s rights movement. For most of our history, we were ruled by a small group of white Christian men. That wasn’t democracy. What is happening now (a move toward democracy) is creating a powerful backlash. The backlash has been shocking. But you have the power to make a difference.
Democracy means rule by the people.
This is literally what it means. Demos is from Greek. It means people or citizens. Kratos means power. Democracy means the citizens have the power.
That means us.
What? Did you think someone else should do all the work?
Nobody owes you a democracy.
You want it? You have to work for it.