I've long held the belief that DT serves as a judgement on America. We had gotten a 4 year reprieve, but this time it is quite different. This country has grown so much on the efforts of individual people. America made it through the Great Depression., but there were so many atrocities on American Land before those times. We all just watched the halftime show on American history during the weekend and how it is true that much of America was written on the backs on untold Black slaves. It was also written by the blood of untold millions of Native Americans on American soil. Both Native Americans and Blacks have paid prices that many white settlers and modern generations really know nothing about through personal experience. It is now their turn. I hope that Levitsky and Way are right in that there will be elections in 2028 and Trump has already said last summer that it would be the last time we all had to vote. The remaining days until Nov. 7th, 2028 are to be some of the most critical in our nation's history and future. Our 1st line of defense is coming forth from our legal system. May they stand strong.
Thank you for your posts. They help me help my community of friends better understand what is happening. Most have very little insight into what's going on, and they feel overwhelmed. Seeing clearly leads to a clearer understanding of the power of personal and collective agency. I have appreciated the website/phone App '5 Calls' as an aid to contacting my DC congress members. While the list of issues is daunting, psychologically I feel part of a team. If I am not calling about a particular issue, I know someone else is. I encourage exploring 5calls.org. or getting the app for your phone. The website reports over 5,000,000 calls and the number of calls grows everyday. Introverts can leave voicemails 😊.
If you call after hours (you can call 24/7 seven days a week) you automatically go to voicemail. You should leave name and address on voicemail to be sure your opinion is counted. In PA, you have an option to leave a voicemail when you call a Senator's office during working hours. I usually get the same person in my Rep.'s office. All the staff who answer are very nice--I identify myself and ask if I can offer my opinion--then I read a short message (two or three sentences) that I write out ahead of the call using some of the info. from '5 Calls.' I'm an extravert; I call often enough that many staffers recognize my name/voice. We often have short friendly chats. They are all very nice regardless of political party😊.
Great advice. I read a detailed piece about calling (it’s more effective than email) which explains that it’s best to have one issue or theme that you’re calling about. The staff tallies calls under separate issue headings, then tells the lawmaker how many calls they received about which issues. It definitely has an effect. Prior to the inauguration, MAGA called more than 4x as often as Democrats. 😮
You may get a staff assistant, so you should be prepared. Sometimes they ask for your address or email, sometimes not. It's always best to leave your address in the voicemail in case they check to see if you are a constituent. I've read that calling is more effective than email. I call because whether or not it matters to my MAGA reps, I don't know what else I can do.
Pluralistic democracy is a recent innovation. Since the year of my birth, American democracy has gradually made a place for people of color, women, non-Christians, and LGBTQ folk. But would the American electorate stand for that degree of pluralism? Apparently not. Many on the right seem to believe that if we eliminate, or roll back, the scope of American pluralism, we will still have the species of democracy that existed at the time of my birth. But that can't work. In 1953, popular support for feminism, civil rights, religious tolerating, and gay rights was tepid to non-existent. Now, a third of the population is dedicated to this expansion of the franchise and won't be willing to change their minds. Pluralistic democracy is the only kind of democracy that has any credibility for this slice of the population. Moreover, support for pluralistic democracy is especially strong in the academy and among the most highly educated portion of the electorate. My guess is that at least a third of voting Americans reject the concept of pluralistic democracy, and another third is too checked-out to care. This last bunch are the folks that decide elections, and their utter incomprehension means they are unlikely to resist the gathering move to authoritarianism. As a consequence, elections will continue to swing back and forth between the twin polls of the American political system. That's what makes the thesis of the article you reference so frightening.
You are right, Kristin. That third bothers me the most too. And many of them are educated, liberal-minded individuals, but seem still to be wanting to “take a break” from politics. How can we reach them before it’s too late? Thank you.
I truly believe that God, who allows freewill and sovereignly Loves us, is allowing this toxic and distorted version of American Christianity and Nationalism to implode, self destruct, and repent in our own ashes in order that, once again, a revival of Goodness and Kindness might rise from the altars of our crushed hearts and spirits. The 'house of God' in America must repent, change, and return to our First Love. #GiveMeJesus #LetLoveRule
Thank you for sharing once again. I believe our goal as Christians is to be fearless, faithful with the spirit of love! Not a weak love, but as second Timothy chapter 1 verse seven states God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind! This authoritarian government is contrary to what God would truly want as we know! May we keep speaking and keep shutting light in the dark places! God bless you and your work!
I think I'm a cynical optimist. I believe that if 90% of the voters in a solid Republican/Trump town in any state would each and every one write to their Republican rep (House) and urge him or her to oppose draconian measures, it would have an effect. In a jurisdiction of which I am a part, we were told that petitions are NOT the way to go, but short, direct letters from ordinary people have a very strong effect. I wonder if others have had the same experience.
Petitions do nothing. Letters do a little. Phone calls do much more. But I've also heard from someone with inside access that Republicans are getting threats from the other side, so it will take a lot of constituent pressure to offset that.
I read that calling the switchboard every day and leaving messages for your senator is a way to fight this. I am doing this. But my senators, Ernst and Grassley, are Trump allies, so I’m afraid it’s falling on deaf ears. Any advice on what we should say in our messages to our senators to make a difference?
I'm also in Iowa with the same problem. I'm so angry with Chuck Grassley, but that helps nobody. I keep calling and it may not help at all, but some things are worth doing because it's right to do them. Making a habit of resisting evil is important (see all the reasons in Kristin's post).
I’m glad you’re doing this. They need to know that there will be pushback from constituents. We need to make them uncomfortable. Otherwise, they’ll think we agree with their actions.
I'm Californian -- making calls to my Senators feels as if it does no good because they already know what the majority of us expect for them and usually try to deliver -- and it isn't MAGA or DOGE.
Elle --your calls are far more important than mine, because your Senators need to know that there are Iowans who do not think they are doing right. They hope you won't notice. You are telling them that you have views that you expect to have represented. You, also, are their constituent who they are supposed to listen to. Hang in there.
It does make a difference because they know that people have pushed back, that certain things are unpopular or will cause a backlash. Even if you don’t change their vote, it effects how they behave if enough people call
More concerning than the Levitsky update is the parallels I saw reading William Shirer’s Berlin Diary published in 1941 between how Hitler destroyed the nascent Weimar Republic with laughable lies and a gullible German people. As has been said, history may not repeat itself but it sure rhymes.
Continuing to push back daily is important. I call my Senators and my Rep. every day. Every. Day. I want to encourage whoever reads this to do the same. It makes a difference and we all can do this. It takes a few minutes. Is it worth spending about 5 minutes each day? I think so. As I mentioned previously I recommend https://5calls.org/. They will guide you through what to do.
Excellent post, as usual. I appreciate your words and recommendations on what’s happening in our government. It’s a scary time for us, especially for those of us who already have anxiety disorder. Thank you and keep posting! We need your words now more than ever!
Thank you so much for your persistent efforts to inform people about what is happening. It's not an easy task to keep sharing terrible news and analysis that helps us understand how to parse terrible news. Still right now it is so, so important.
Dr. Du Mez, do you have any advice for us about talking about these threats with our communities? I feel that one of the big challenges has been that when we are clued in we are of course very stressed about what we see, and when we talk about what is happening, we sound kind of unhinged. Jamelle Bouie said something similar on BlueSky, "Simply repeating the straight reporting of what is happening in the executive branch makes you sound like you have lost your mind."
And sorry, that's not great advice. One of the things I'm trying to do here is take some of the most important developments and frameworks and share them in ways that are accessible to the casual reader.
People can understand what Elon is doing even if they’re not ‘interested in politics’. He is the weak link to the public. People don’t like their records getting accessed by college kids who used to be hackers. They can understand someone getting their records who might give (already gave) the records to China. Keep talking and writing! Thank you for all of it.
I am reading Navalny's memoir Patriot. This could be a description of what he encountered in Russia with their supposedly "democratic elections"
"Competitive authoritarianism will transform political life in the United States. As Trump’s early flurry of dubiously constitutional executive orders made clear, the cost of public opposition will rise considerably: Democratic Party donors may be targeted by the IRS; businesses that fund civil rights groups may face heightened tax and legal scrutiny or find their ventures stymied by regulators. Critical media outlets will likely confront costly defamation suits or other legal actions as well as retaliatory policies against their parent companies. Americans will still be able to oppose the government, but opposition will be harder and riskier, leading many elites and citizens to decide that the fight is not worth it. A failure to resist, however, could pave the way for authoritarian entrenchment—with grave and enduring consequences for global democracy…"
I've long held the belief that DT serves as a judgement on America. We had gotten a 4 year reprieve, but this time it is quite different. This country has grown so much on the efforts of individual people. America made it through the Great Depression., but there were so many atrocities on American Land before those times. We all just watched the halftime show on American history during the weekend and how it is true that much of America was written on the backs on untold Black slaves. It was also written by the blood of untold millions of Native Americans on American soil. Both Native Americans and Blacks have paid prices that many white settlers and modern generations really know nothing about through personal experience. It is now their turn. I hope that Levitsky and Way are right in that there will be elections in 2028 and Trump has already said last summer that it would be the last time we all had to vote. The remaining days until Nov. 7th, 2028 are to be some of the most critical in our nation's history and future. Our 1st line of defense is coming forth from our legal system. May they stand strong.
Thank you for your posts. They help me help my community of friends better understand what is happening. Most have very little insight into what's going on, and they feel overwhelmed. Seeing clearly leads to a clearer understanding of the power of personal and collective agency. I have appreciated the website/phone App '5 Calls' as an aid to contacting my DC congress members. While the list of issues is daunting, psychologically I feel part of a team. If I am not calling about a particular issue, I know someone else is. I encourage exploring 5calls.org. or getting the app for your phone. The website reports over 5,000,000 calls and the number of calls grows everyday. Introverts can leave voicemails 😊.
Wait...we don't actually have to speak to a person? Guaranteed?
If you call after hours (you can call 24/7 seven days a week) you automatically go to voicemail. You should leave name and address on voicemail to be sure your opinion is counted. In PA, you have an option to leave a voicemail when you call a Senator's office during working hours. I usually get the same person in my Rep.'s office. All the staff who answer are very nice--I identify myself and ask if I can offer my opinion--then I read a short message (two or three sentences) that I write out ahead of the call using some of the info. from '5 Calls.' I'm an extravert; I call often enough that many staffers recognize my name/voice. We often have short friendly chats. They are all very nice regardless of political party😊.
Great advice. I read a detailed piece about calling (it’s more effective than email) which explains that it’s best to have one issue or theme that you’re calling about. The staff tallies calls under separate issue headings, then tells the lawmaker how many calls they received about which issues. It definitely has an effect. Prior to the inauguration, MAGA called more than 4x as often as Democrats. 😮
You may get a staff assistant, so you should be prepared. Sometimes they ask for your address or email, sometimes not. It's always best to leave your address in the voicemail in case they check to see if you are a constituent. I've read that calling is more effective than email. I call because whether or not it matters to my MAGA reps, I don't know what else I can do.
Pluralistic democracy is a recent innovation. Since the year of my birth, American democracy has gradually made a place for people of color, women, non-Christians, and LGBTQ folk. But would the American electorate stand for that degree of pluralism? Apparently not. Many on the right seem to believe that if we eliminate, or roll back, the scope of American pluralism, we will still have the species of democracy that existed at the time of my birth. But that can't work. In 1953, popular support for feminism, civil rights, religious tolerating, and gay rights was tepid to non-existent. Now, a third of the population is dedicated to this expansion of the franchise and won't be willing to change their minds. Pluralistic democracy is the only kind of democracy that has any credibility for this slice of the population. Moreover, support for pluralistic democracy is especially strong in the academy and among the most highly educated portion of the electorate. My guess is that at least a third of voting Americans reject the concept of pluralistic democracy, and another third is too checked-out to care. This last bunch are the folks that decide elections, and their utter incomprehension means they are unlikely to resist the gathering move to authoritarianism. As a consequence, elections will continue to swing back and forth between the twin polls of the American political system. That's what makes the thesis of the article you reference so frightening.
I'm seeing the same rough division into thirds. The thrid that can't be bothered to care bothers me the most!
You are right, Kristin. That third bothers me the most too. And many of them are educated, liberal-minded individuals, but seem still to be wanting to “take a break” from politics. How can we reach them before it’s too late? Thank you.
I truly believe that God, who allows freewill and sovereignly Loves us, is allowing this toxic and distorted version of American Christianity and Nationalism to implode, self destruct, and repent in our own ashes in order that, once again, a revival of Goodness and Kindness might rise from the altars of our crushed hearts and spirits. The 'house of God' in America must repent, change, and return to our First Love. #GiveMeJesus #LetLoveRule
Thank you for sharing once again. I believe our goal as Christians is to be fearless, faithful with the spirit of love! Not a weak love, but as second Timothy chapter 1 verse seven states God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind! This authoritarian government is contrary to what God would truly want as we know! May we keep speaking and keep shutting light in the dark places! God bless you and your work!
I think I'm a cynical optimist. I believe that if 90% of the voters in a solid Republican/Trump town in any state would each and every one write to their Republican rep (House) and urge him or her to oppose draconian measures, it would have an effect. In a jurisdiction of which I am a part, we were told that petitions are NOT the way to go, but short, direct letters from ordinary people have a very strong effect. I wonder if others have had the same experience.
Petitions do nothing. Letters do a little. Phone calls do much more. But I've also heard from someone with inside access that Republicans are getting threats from the other side, so it will take a lot of constituent pressure to offset that.
FYI: I also called rep and senator's office.
Thank you. I just read through the whole article and found it really insightful!
I read that calling the switchboard every day and leaving messages for your senator is a way to fight this. I am doing this. But my senators, Ernst and Grassley, are Trump allies, so I’m afraid it’s falling on deaf ears. Any advice on what we should say in our messages to our senators to make a difference?
Nothing that you can say right now will make a difference, but it does matter that you keep calling!
(To clarify--no specific spin you put on things to these two senators will matter, but continuing to register your position does.)
Check out indivisible.org for suggestions
I'm also in Iowa with the same problem. I'm so angry with Chuck Grassley, but that helps nobody. I keep calling and it may not help at all, but some things are worth doing because it's right to do them. Making a habit of resisting evil is important (see all the reasons in Kristin's post).
I’m glad you’re doing this. They need to know that there will be pushback from constituents. We need to make them uncomfortable. Otherwise, they’ll think we agree with their actions.
I keep telling mine to stand up for their constituents, the rule of law and the constitution
I'm Californian -- making calls to my Senators feels as if it does no good because they already know what the majority of us expect for them and usually try to deliver -- and it isn't MAGA or DOGE.
Elle --your calls are far more important than mine, because your Senators need to know that there are Iowans who do not think they are doing right. They hope you won't notice. You are telling them that you have views that you expect to have represented. You, also, are their constituent who they are supposed to listen to. Hang in there.
It does make a difference because they know that people have pushed back, that certain things are unpopular or will cause a backlash. Even if you don’t change their vote, it effects how they behave if enough people call
I read that article last night. Very sobering.
Every single thing they mention is exactly what those of us tracking various groups have been anticipating. Hence my somber mood the other night.
I'm afraid they were painting too rosy of a picture.
More concerning than the Levitsky update is the parallels I saw reading William Shirer’s Berlin Diary published in 1941 between how Hitler destroyed the nascent Weimar Republic with laughable lies and a gullible German people. As has been said, history may not repeat itself but it sure rhymes.
I’ve been thinking about Weimar a lot.
Continuing to push back daily is important. I call my Senators and my Rep. every day. Every. Day. I want to encourage whoever reads this to do the same. It makes a difference and we all can do this. It takes a few minutes. Is it worth spending about 5 minutes each day? I think so. As I mentioned previously I recommend https://5calls.org/. They will guide you through what to do.
Excellent post, as usual. I appreciate your words and recommendations on what’s happening in our government. It’s a scary time for us, especially for those of us who already have anxiety disorder. Thank you and keep posting! We need your words now more than ever!
Thank you so much for your persistent efforts to inform people about what is happening. It's not an easy task to keep sharing terrible news and analysis that helps us understand how to parse terrible news. Still right now it is so, so important.
Dr. Du Mez, do you have any advice for us about talking about these threats with our communities? I feel that one of the big challenges has been that when we are clued in we are of course very stressed about what we see, and when we talk about what is happening, we sound kind of unhinged. Jamelle Bouie said something similar on BlueSky, "Simply repeating the straight reporting of what is happening in the executive branch makes you sound like you have lost your mind."
Story of my life! I don't post half of what I know, because I know people don't have the frameworks to even comprehend it.
And sorry, that's not great advice. One of the things I'm trying to do here is take some of the most important developments and frameworks and share them in ways that are accessible to the casual reader.
I reposted on Bluesky. A guy said your piece really got through to him in a way other things hadn't. I thought you should know it's helping.
Thank you! It is a conundrum. I appreciate your work.
People can understand what Elon is doing even if they’re not ‘interested in politics’. He is the weak link to the public. People don’t like their records getting accessed by college kids who used to be hackers. They can understand someone getting their records who might give (already gave) the records to China. Keep talking and writing! Thank you for all of it.
I agree. Musk is the weak link- he is unpopular. Getting MAGA to turn on him is the assignment.
Kristin, thanks for all you do. Please keep writing and sending emails.
I am reading Navalny's memoir Patriot. This could be a description of what he encountered in Russia with their supposedly "democratic elections"
"Competitive authoritarianism will transform political life in the United States. As Trump’s early flurry of dubiously constitutional executive orders made clear, the cost of public opposition will rise considerably: Democratic Party donors may be targeted by the IRS; businesses that fund civil rights groups may face heightened tax and legal scrutiny or find their ventures stymied by regulators. Critical media outlets will likely confront costly defamation suits or other legal actions as well as retaliatory policies against their parent companies. Americans will still be able to oppose the government, but opposition will be harder and riskier, leading many elites and citizens to decide that the fight is not worth it. A failure to resist, however, could pave the way for authoritarian entrenchment—with grave and enduring consequences for global democracy…"