How to Stop the Authoritarian Takeover & Create a Fair Democratic System

News! Democratism is shifting focus to stop the authoritarian takeover and restore the Constitution. It's a necessary detour on the way to creating a fair election system, and you can make it happen.

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Democratism and the USA

The United States is in the midst of an authoritarian takeover. Since January 20, the executive branch has routinely ignored the Constitution and the laws of Congress. It has made a policy of violating rights and misusing federal power to stifle dissent, punish opponents, and target disfavored groups. Congress and the courts have proven unable, in many cases unwilling, to stop our descent into dictatorship.

Democratism’s original primary objective, ending the Electoral College and establishing proportional representation in Congress, remains critical to the future of the nation and the world. In fact, the electoral flaws we aim to remove created the conditions that produced this crisis. Among other things, the Electoral College and undemocratic Senate allowed an executive who lost the popular vote to cement a Supreme Court majority that later brought him back to power and shielded him from accountability.

But there’s no use changing the Constitution while the Constitution remains effectively out of operation. Stopping the authoritarian takeover and restoring legitimate governance must be our urgent priority.

State and Local Governments Must Lead

State and local officials have taken an oath to support the Constitution. Their obligation doesn’t disappear when the president abandons the Constitution. It doesn’t disappear when Congress and the courts fail to control him. On the contrary, these circumstances only heighten their duty, compelling them to act decisively.

States and localities have powers that can protect their people and uphold the constitutional order. Many also have the will to act. Tools at their disposal include refusing to comply with illegal federal directives, shielding residents from lawless retaliation, compensating for essential services the federal government is failing to provide, and coordinating with other jurisdictions to restore democratic governance.

Some of these measures would exceed state or local authority if the federal government were still functioning constitutionally. But with the federal executive in uncontrolled rebellion against the Constitution, state and local governments have both the authority and the duty to bring that rebellion to an end.

What Legislatures Need to Do

1. Commit

Our model Resolution to Restore the Constitution:

• affirms that the federal executive’s uncontrolled abandonment of constitutional governance obligates state and local governments to protect their residents and work to reinstate the constitutional order; and
• commits to taking all necessary and appropriate steps to fulfill that duty, including actions that are justified only because the federal government has abandoned the Constitution.

2. Frame

Next, pass legislation that sets up the structure for further action. Our proposed Restoration of Constitutional Governance and Protection of the People Act:

• defines generally applicable rules, such as roles of courts and government actors, applicable to all special legislative actions passed as part of the Act;
• creates a public working group to guide action;
• time-limits the Act based on a later legislative determination that constitutional governance has been restored.

3. Act

Pass concrete laws to protect residents, counter federal lawlessness, and uphold democracy. Our growing Catalog of Legislative Actions includes legislation that, among other things:

• rejects unconstitutional federal mandates;
• shields public servants and community institutions from retaliation;
• reclaims misused resources or funds; and
• defends truth-tellers and the public interest.

These actions can be adopted together with the framing legislation or added later by amendment.

What You Can Do

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