In this fabulous lecture, Harvard prof. Steven Levitsky explains that the Republicans are engaging in hardball tactics because they feel their backs are to the wall and they're desperate.
If this is the kind of thing I've been saying, it's because I've been reading Levitsky's work for years. He writes about democracies in Latin America, democratic erosion, and competitive authoritarianism. He's also a co-author of 👇
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Also, 👇
His point: For most of the 20th century, American politics "worked."
That’s because through the 1970s, both parties culturally and demographically similar.
Specifically, they were white. White men controlled all major American institutions.
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Voter suppression laws were legal and effective. In 1880, 61% of black men voted. In 1910, only 2%.
Then from the 1950s until the 1970s, we went through a major upheaval.
The parties realigned as (1) Black voters, many who were finally able to vote, voted Democratic. . .
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. . . and southern whites became Republican.
Before the 1970s, white evangelicals were mostly Democratic but dispersed over both parties.
Now they're Republican.
Today Democratic and Republican parties are different culturally and demographically.
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The Democrats have a 'rainbow' coalition of educated urbanites and minority communities.
The two parties look different, live in different places, fundamentally different conceptions of what it means to be an American.
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We always had working democratic institutions, but they only worked for some of the people.
Democrats want a true racially diverse democracy.
Republicans don't want to lose dominance. They see a bleak future as their numbers shrink.
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The Republican Party, fearful and desperate, has evolved into an extremist, anti-system party.
They think if they lose power they'll never regain it.
They are trying to break politics by rendering it dysfunctional.
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What does Steven Levitsky see as the greatest danger to American democracy?
The government slipping into dysfunction, which will erode public confidence.
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When societies lose confidence in democracy, they are vulnerable to the appeal of strongmen and demagogues who promise to get things done.
I'm telling you this because the panic setting in among supporters of democracy can be harmful or helpful, depending.
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If this panic translates into healthy concern and drives people to be more engaged, it will be a good thing.
Democracy requires widespread participation.
On the other hand, if the panic erodes confidence ("Democracy is already dead!") it will be harmful.
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That's why one goal of Active Measures was to erode confidence in democracy.
I'm also telling you this because a lot of people give conditionals: "If X doesn't happen, American democracy is doomed!"
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There isn't one way or one path. If something doesn't work, try something else.
Another reason panic is harmful is that it leads to destructive and desperate behavior.
A diverse coalition owns the future. Numbers from Levitsky:
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Yes, Republicans want to take us back to 1890. Think for a minute about how hard that would be.
The way to save democracy is with more democracy, or what Obama calls citizenship.
Just a friendly reminder that if the people who abused power are not held "accountable," it's because they are being shielded by a major political party that holds a lot of power.
You can't say Schiff and Swalwell haven't been doing their best.
Underestimating how entrenched the anti-democratic forces are? Unreasonable expectations? Thinking change can be swift?
Think about what would be happening right now if Trump was in the White House and compare.
The legal question is whether Trump made the statement in the scope of his employment
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In other words, this case isn't about the rape itself (except that truth is a defense to libel)
I suspect that the issue will be appealed, and the appellate court will decide whether it agrees that the defamatory statements were uttered in the scope of Trump's employment.
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The most important thing you can do is get involved in local politics. I live in a blue city in a blue state, and right-wingers are getting a foothold at the very local level.