From Marc Elias of Democracy Docket
The most common question I receive is how everyday citizens can help in the fight for democracy. My advice is to take the first step, start with something small and see what works for you. Here are ten things all of us can do.
1. Stay engaged
When all the news is about Trump and pardons and lies, it is easy to want to retreat and stop paying attention. Don’t. It is precisely when things are hard that we must all lean into remaining vigilant and informed.
2. Help Democrats
The success of any opposition movement rests on the opposing party taking power. This is not a minor detail; in our system of government, it is the essential goal. Next time you want to attack a Democrat for being too much of this or too little of that, realize that you are only helping the GOP. Instead, find a Democrat you support and volunteer or contribute to their campaign.
3. Don’t do Trump’s work
This is more than simply resisting Trump’s actions; it is refusing to accept his false assumptions. When he says he wants to abolish birthright citizenship, do not accept the premise that he has the power to do so. Stay grounded in the truth: The U.S. Constitution is clear, Trump is powerless and the courts will reject his efforts.
4. Don’t grade on a curve
This goes both ways. Do not hold Republicans to a lower standard and do not hold Democrats to a higher one. When a Republican does something normal, recognize it is normal not exceptional. When a Democrat does something normal, recognize it is normal and not terrible.
5. Believe in the courts
Republicans control all three elected branches of the federal government. They do not control the courts. Yes, the U.S. Supreme Court has a solidly conservative majority, but the high court only hears a few dozen cases a year. And in some of those, the Court has sided with democracy. Most importantly, remember that Joe Biden confirmed a record number of new federal judges. And, of course, there are state courts. For better or worse, we are dependent on the courts to help protect democracy. Rather than assume they will not, insist they do.
6. Beware of false attacks
Pam Bondi is an election denier. Kash Patel has an enemies list of political opponents. Donald Trump has promised retribution. When you hear that a Trump foe is under investigation, be skeptical. When you read about anonymous leaks against pro-democracy leaders, consider that it may be part of an effort to discredit their work.
7. Support independent media
The legacy media is failing our democracy. Every day brings more news of another billionaire owner or corporate overlord bowing down to Trump. The solution is found in independent news outlets that have no incentive to make nice with the Republican Party. Some of these are broad-based news operations, some are issue specific. Pick a few and subscribe for free. Find one or two that you pay to support. It will go a long way to ensure a vibrant media ecosystem willing to stand up for democracy.
8. Use your town square
Every one of us has a town square. It may include our social media accounts, our local book club or dinner table. Use your town square to speak out in favor of democracy and against what Republicans are doing. Do not shy away from difficult conversations; seek them out. Engage the curious. Educate those who seek information. We all have a role to play, so don’t assume your voice is too faint or your platform too small.
9. Prepare for a long fight
In 2017, we hoped that Trumpism was a fluke and would pass. We now know it will not. We are in for a long fight and must build and commit to an opposition movement that will stand the test of time. We will have victories and setbacks, good days and bad. We must understand that this will not be over in one election or with the defeat of any one candidate. This is the fight of our generation, and it will take time.
10. Don’t give up hope
Our best political movements were hopeful. John Kennedy insisted that “we should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes.” Bill Clinton was the man from Hope. Barack Obama ran a campaign based on hope and change. Donald Trump and the Republicans want you to give up hope. Despair and cynicism fuel their movement. We must always, in the words of Jesse Jackson, “keep hope alive.”
Regarding #5, Believe in the Courts, here is a current example
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/01/28/trump-freeze-federal-grants-loans/
The White House budget office ordered a pause on a wide range of grants and loans disbursed by the federal government, throwing into question the fate of trillions of dollars that go to programs funding all aspects of American life.
The budget office’s memo, sent Monday night, sparked immediate and widespread confusion …
Capping a frenetic day, a federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump from imposing the sweeping pause on trillions of dollars in federal spending. The order prevented the new restrictions from taking effect until at least Feb. 3, buying time for a coalition of public health advocates, nonprofits and businesses — represented by the left-leaning group Democracy Forward — to proceed with its case challenging the freeze.
…
I will HOPE in the courts, and pray that the court systems do not become overwhelmed and paralyzed by lawsuits. Are all the lawsuits defended by taxpayer money? I don’t know how that budgeting works. Can someone help me with that? If a state brings suit against a federal entity, who pays for each side of the suit? Are my taxes being diverted at two levels, both for suit and defense?
Another list of what might be done:
ON TYRANNY-Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder
Quick read
I just looked for ON TYRANNY on bookshop.org and it looks really good. I ordered a copy for myself and for a friend.
“The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew, the tyranny that overcame ancient democracy. Today, our political order faces new threats, not unlike the totalitarianism of the twentieth century. We are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.”
Regarding #5 “Believe in the courts”, a provision in the House Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill contains a significant restriction on “the authority of federal courts to hold government officials in contempt when they violate court orders,” as Dean of Berkeley Law School Erwin Chemerinsky explained in Just Security Monday. “Without the contempt power,” he writes, “judicial orders are meaningless and can be ignored.” Here is a link to Dean Chemerinsky’s article: https://www.justsecurity.org/113529/terrible-idea-contempt-court/.
This is from the May 21 column “Letters from an American”
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-21-2025
In other circles, I am sometimes one of the few voices suggesting that folks even give the Democratic Party the time of day. They have been burned too many times, and I understand where they’re coming from. I find the entire two-party system to be one of the primary hurdles to moving towards a world that works for all. So, I do work/play towards shifting that. And other work/play that accepts and works with the two-party system as it is.
All that to say, that while I understand why you listed #2, I believe you’ve left a *lot* of opportunity on the table for things we can do to protect democracy. And there are, looking around, many countries which do not even have a viable opposition party. What do people do then to protect (or establish!) democracy?
Some of the other elements that are clear to me are robust journalism, other forms of public conversation, and most of all a people’s strong sense of themselves, their belonging and agency. Are the people living with healthy participation in decisions made at the family level? In their neighborhoods and towns, cities and bioregions?
Are systems of care operated as gifts, from “normal” people to “victims?” Or do they have more of a mutual aid character and personality to them, people helping people? There’s a wide spectrum, or terrain here. Are non-human participants in the web of life included as fully as we can in the mix?
The Democrats can, at best, cover a lot of bases. But people power goes