Overview
Critical Topics

Challenge #1: Supporting Our Democratic Processes and Institutions

Our democratic institutions and processes are what hold our democratic system together over time

 – along with the values and principles that Americans have held. There are a surprising number of roles that individuals can play with intention to support those institutions and processes. Most of us model many of those roles, but we can significantly increase our impact simply be being very intentional about the roles we play.

 The roles in the following section are examples of roles that can be played to counter the basic strategies of authoritarians intent on destroying the American democracy and turning us into subjects.

The roles noted below are examples of roles that citizens can play in general to ensure the success of the American experiment.

The key is to play a bunch of roles that are not too much of a stretch (some stretch is good) and then keep increasing the roles played and our intention as we gain experience. To have much of an impact we will need to get out of our comfort zones to some extent, but that’s not a bad thing.

These are only examples to stimulate thinking and action. 

They are not prescriptive – not saying “you should do this.” There is no “right profile.” Some examples are more specific than others. Some are less obvious and require some exploration or experimentation. These are just examples. Many more actions are possible.

Basic Actions that Citizens Can Take “Individuals” vs. “Citizens”

Stay Informed

  1. Stay Informed
  2. Follow credible news sources
  3. Understand the critical issues and how a democratic government works
  4. Search the web and use AI to research topics
 

Vote Consistently

  1. Know the issues
  2. Know the candidates
  3. Encourage others to vote – “each one bring one”
  4. Provide transportation
  5. Volunteer at a voting place
 

Practice Civil Discourse

  1. Understand multiple points of view
  2. “Seek first…”
  3. Challenge misinformation
  4. Seek out others with differing viewpoints
 

Support Truth-Based Journalism

  1. Subscribe to local and national media
  2. Patronize advertisers and let them know it’s because of local media
  3. Champion/advocate for media and defend it when under attack
 

Hold Public Officials Accountable

  1. Work to get people elected who are ready to take on the big tough complex issues we face; who act from courage vs. fear and hope vs. anger; and who put country/community over self and can persevere to ”hold the course”
  2. Let them know where you stand on issues
    Attend public forums, town halls, digital meetings, etc.
  3. Support accountable officials financially, as a volunteer, and with votes
 

Use My Network

  1. Connect the appropriate parts of my network with specific issues and organizations
  2. Encourage the people and organizations in my network to understand the issues and to act
 

Financially Support those defending America’s Democracy

  1. Directly provide financial support on a regular basis
  2. Support specific high impact timely initiatives
 

Advocate Personally

  1. Understand the range of issues and choose where to focus
  2. Communicate with public officials, the media, the relevant groups, and your network to advocate for specific issues and actions – and/or support/reinforce actions already taken
  3. In general, push for a focus on effective citizenship and the value of a diverse democracy

Examples of Basic Actions in Groups

Be Active in Civic Organizations

  1. Join civic organizations
  2. Start a civic organization
  3. Support civic organizations financially
  4. Help organizations form coalitions, advocate together, etc.
  5. Advocate and/or protest with civic organizations
  6. Bring others with you to the organizations

 

Host Community Conversations

  1. Model acting to support respectful truth-based conversations among people with different perceptions, beliefs, values, etc.
  2. Create safe spaces for dialogue on local or national concerns, democratic values, etc.
  3. Host sessions on how to support democracy – how to be an effective citizen

 

Volunteer

  1. Volunteer to support a specific organization
  2. Volunteer to advance a specific issue
  3. For big complex issues identify where your skills contribute to the advocacy process (lots of skills needed), which organizations need those skills, and present yourself

 

Examples of Basic Systemic Actions

Play an Intentional Specific Role(s) in the Advocacy Process

  1. Support organizations that are advocating for things you value
  2. Identify the skills you have that can play a part in the advocacy process and connect with organizations that can use those skills (even in small ways)

 

Support the Individuals, Groups, and Organizations that are Taking on the Big Complex Issues

  1. Support them financially
  2. Support them with membership
  3. Volunteer
  4. Connect them to your network

 

This is the highest wisdom that I own; freedom and life are earned by those alone who conquer them each day anew.

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Actions Citizens Can Take Specifically to Counter the Authoritarian Playbook

This topic is focused on specifically countering the strategies in the basic authoritarian playbook – because of its central nature to the question, “citizen or subject?” The default position throughout human history has been for people to be subjects to an authoritarian master. To be citizens that maintain a healthy democracy requires challenging the forces that support authoritarians.

There are times when that challenge needs to be very direct, conscious, and powerful – with no wavering and lots of perseverance and resilience. This is one of those times.

Authoritarians and dictators use a variety of deliberate strategies—psychological, political, social, and military—to gain power, dismantle democratic institutions, and maintain control. These tactics often follow a recognizable pattern, even across different cultures and time periods.
Here are key strategies Authoritarians use and examples of ways that we can counter them. The key is to see these strategies early and act immediately to counter them. Waiting until power is fully consolidated is too late.

Note:

  • Many of the actions may seem new or “not like me” and require leaving one’s comfort zone and “finding the way.”
  • Some actions are common and frequently appropriate in countering authoritarians, like peaceful protest, calling out the actions of authoritarians, supporting those who are fighting the authoritarian actions, etc.
  • Some actions are more specific to a particular authoritarian strategy.

Authoritarian Strategy #1: Exploit people’s fear and insecurity

– splitting people, reinforcing ‘victimhood” and grievance, and feeding on people’s “smaller selves.” They create or exaggerate threats, scapegoat minorities or marginalized groups, and promise order and security in exchange for freedom.

We Can:

  • Challenge the lies and reinforce the truth
  • Focus on the strength of our two foundation blocks – our extraordinary founding and our 250-year trajectory of perseverance
  • Directly counter polarization, anxiety, fear, the demonization of “others”

Authoritarian Strategy #2    Undermine truth and independent media

– spreading misinformation and lies to confuse and freeze people, control the narrative, attacking journalists, and establishing state control over the media

We Can:

  • Support independent responsible media financially and politically
  • Educate ourselves
  • Challenge the misinformation and lies with “the truth”

Authoritarian Strategy #3 Destroy or co-opt democratic institutions and processes

– weakening checks and balances, undermining legislatures and the courts, neutralizing watchdog institutions, gerrymandering election districts, undermining the election processes, etc.

We Can:

  • Counter voter suppression in its many forms
  • Actively protest attacks on democratic institutions and processes
  • Participate in the political processes locally and nationally

Authoritarian Strategy #4 Relate to people as “victims” and position themselves as “saviors”

– seeing people as subjects and themselves as the natural rulers, diminishing people to drain their power, dramatically overstating or simply fabricating their own capabilities, and labeling anyone resisting as traitors, enemies, or evil and unworthy.

We Can:

  • Call out what the authoritarian is doing and the need for a “savior”
  • Challenge their diminishing of people and reinforce the capability and power that people have
  • Challenge the self-aggrandizement and “puffery” of the authoritarian
  • Highlight the founding of America and the success of the country without an authoritarian leader
  • Challenge the silencing of dissent and legitimize the role of dissent and holding leaders accountable

Authoritarian Strategy #5 Crush or co-opt opposition

outlawing or suppressing opposition parties and groups, using rewards and threats to neutralize or recruit key individuals and organizations, co-opting legal institutions and processes to cripple or destroy opposition.

We Can:

  • Join and support threatened groups and organizations or organizations taking this issue on
  • Call out what is being done and peacefully protest to prevent it from being done unopposed or in the shadows

Authoritarian Strategy #6 Control economic access and patronage

controlling or subsidizing companies or industries to reward loyalty, creating dependence of people through access to jobs, capital, and opportunities – and using corruption as a way to control and reward “insiders.”

We Can:

  • Call it out and peacefully protest
  • Support groups and organizations fighting it
  • Support companies that refuse to be co-opted and don’t patronize or boycott that do cave in

Authoritarian Strategy #7 Normalize violence and co-opt the police and the military

using the police and military to intimidate or suppress opposing voices, establishing “secret police” systems of surveillance to monitor and control citizens, and normalizing violence to keep people from speaking or acting.

We Can:

  • Call it out and peacefully protest
  • Support the individuals, groups, and organizations that confront it

Authoritarian Strategy #8 Undermine civil liberties to control “subjects”

limiting freedom of speech and assembly, suppressing the vote, limiting religious freedom, censuring the media, and criminalizing dissent.

We Can:

  • Call it out and peacefully protest
  • Support the individuals, groups, and organizations that confront it

The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.

Michaelangelo
Call to Action
Big Tough Complex Intimidating Issues
Advocacy
Accountability