*  *  * This week, I will address these questions: How do democracies thrive and how do they die? How can backsliding democracies be saved? How can nations begin a (peaceful) progression from an authoritarian government to a more democratic government? My method will involve a journey through the work and writings of the following: […]

I woke up on the morning of Wednesday, November 9, 2016, feeling as if I had just lived through the election of 1824. That was an election that pitted John Quincy Adams against Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson was a populist, a hothead, a demagogue, an unrepentant enslaver, a slaughterer of Native people, and a speculator

I am updating this page with new analysis of the new briefing that has been filed. Since I wrote this page, the following briefs have been filed:  Trump’s brief is here (January 18). An Amicus Brief filed by 17 members of Congress is here (January 18). An Amicus Brief by a group of election lawyers

No Time To Panic A Mastodon user said this: There is never a time to panic. Even in an airplane emergency, a cool head saves lives. But Teri! Trump is openly running for president as an autocrat and he has a non-zero chance of winning! Yup. If you haven’t been paying attention, Trump is echoing

First, some business. I appeared this week on the Politics Girl Podcast, which you can see here or, if you prefer to read a (rough) transcript, it’s here. Also, my website got a beauty makeover. I now have a separate landing page and other fancy stuff. (My technical support staff—my husband—has been busy.) And now

Fun Reading Legal Documents And now it’s time for fun reading a legal document. What? You didn’t know that reading legal documents can be fun? Well, I am about to demonstrate. Here is Judge Chutkan’s order denying Trump’s motion to dismiss the charges in the DOJ / January 6 Election Subversion case based on claims

Keeping Trump off the Ballot This question came to me on Mastodon: Have you seen the Colorado decision on the 14th Amendment case to keep Trump off the ballot there? If so, can you explain why they would hold that the President is not an officer of the government? The 14th Amendment was drafted and

This is the conclusion. It’s generally best to follow the advice given to Alice and the White Rabbit in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: “Begin at the beginning, go on to the end, and then stop.” But if you must read out of order, here are all the links: Part 1: There are no Yankees here. Part 2: Creating

The Misinformation-Outrage Cycle This is Part 5. It’s generally best to follow the advice given to Alice and the White Rabbit in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: “Begin at the beginning, go on to the end, and then stop.” But if you must read out of order, here are all the links: Part 1: “There are

The Misinformation-Outrage Cycle This is Part 4. It’s generally best to follow the advice given to Alice and the White Rabbit in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: “Begin at the beginning, go on to the end, and then stop.” But if you must read out of order, here are all the links: Part 1: There are

The Misinformation-Outrage Cycle This is Part 3. It’s generally best to follow the advice given to Alice and the White Rabbit in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: “Begin at the beginning, go on to the end, and then stop.” But if you must read out of order, here are all the links: Part 1: There are

The Misinformation-Outrage Cycle When news becomes entertainment, facts get lost. People get mired in conspiracy thinking and they begin exhibiting authoritarian tendencies. This is Part 2. It’s generally best to follow the advice given to Alice and the White Rabbit in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: “Begin at the beginning, go on to the end, and

This is Part 1. It’s generally best to follow the advice given to Alice and the White Rabbit in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: “Begin at the beginning, go on to the end, and then stop.” But if you must read out of order, here are all the links: Part 1: There are no Yankees here.

In a blog post I wrote a few weeks ago, Trump, Gag Orders, and the First Amendment, I laid out the problems with prior restraints and preventing citizens from criticizing the government. The D.C. gag order began on September 15, The DOJ requested a gag order for Trump. The request is here. Basically, the DOJ wanted the