How do we protect U.S. democracy, 2024 election?
Published: 01-10-2023
How Worried Should We Be About the Future of Our Democracy?
Recently, a group of experts, officials from important states, researchers, and journalists gathered at the University of Chicago's Rubenstein Forum to discuss the future of American democracy. This event, called "Democracy and Distrust: Overcoming Threats to the 2024 Election," was organized by the Chicago Project on Security & Threats and The Guardian newspaper.
The main goal of this event was to talk about the challenges our democracy faces and how we can protect it. Robert Pape, a professor at the University of Chicago, mentioned that our government, communities, education system, and the media all need to work together to safeguard our democratic values.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who supervised the state's elections in 2020 and 2022, spoke about how important it is to ensure that everyone has an equal chance to vote. She believes that equal access to voting is the key to achieving equality and fairness in our country.
Benson also shared a personal story about a frightening incident outside her home in December 2020 when armed individuals showed up. She wondered if defending democracy meant protecting her family from violence while also safeguarding the legitimate election results.
Before the 2020 election, Benson's office made improvements to Michigan's voter registration system, making it easier for people to vote. They also partnered with nonpartisan organizations to educate people about their voting rights.
Despite their efforts, there was a widespread attempt to interfere with the election results and disrupt the certification of the election. This showed Benson that their work to protect democracy was just the beginning.
Pape, an expert on U.S. national security, emphasized the need to focus on the majority of Americans who want to protect democracy, even though there is a minority of people willing to use force to overturn election results.
Research from the Chicago Project on Security & Threats has shown that support for political violence is becoming more common. Surprisingly, many of those involved in the January 6th Capitol attack were not members of extremist groups but rather regular citizens, like business owners, doctors, and lawyers.
Their surveys also revealed that Americans have become more distrustful of democratic institutions and elected leaders, and some are more open to using violence for political ends. This could lead to more intense and potentially violent politics in the future, especially as Trump's trials and primaries approach.
However, there's also some positive news from the research. It found that 80% of Americans, including both Republicans and Democrats, oppose political violence and support bipartisan solutions to stop it. In these divided times, this common ground is essential.
The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring people closely involved in recent elections, like Georgia election official Gabriel Sterling, Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford, and Black Voters Matter founder LaTosha Brown. They highlighted various threats to future elections, such as violence at polling places, the spread of misinformation by foreign actors, and the failure to address racial violence as a form of political violence.
In summary, while there are challenges to American democracy, there is also hope in the form of a shared commitment to rejecting political violence and finding bipartisan solutions to protect our democratic norms. Please Share This Article Thank You..
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