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Democracy is not an on-or-off switch. Every country exists somewhere on a spectrum between democracy and authoritarianism, and can move in either direction.

A functioning democracy depends on more than elections. It also requires meaningful participation, equal application of the law, civil and political rights, and free, independent media.

This page is a starting point for understanding what democracy requires, how democratic backsliding happens, and what ordinary people can do when the rules of the game begin to change in front of their eyes.

HOME TEAM is nonpartisan. We are not asking everyone to share the same beliefs. We are asking people across differences to protect the conditions that allow all of us to participate, speak freely, hold power accountable, and shape our shared future.

DEMOCRACY NEEDS MORE THAN ELECTIONS

Elections matter, but their existence alone does not make a country automatically democratic.

A functioning democracy also requires free expression, equal protection under the law, meaningful public participation, independent courts and institutions, and reliable sources of information.

When those conditions are weakened, people lose their ability to hold power accountable, even if elections continue to take place.

WHAT IS DEMOCRATIC BACKSLIDING?

Democratic backsliding is the gradual movement away from democracy and toward authoritarian control.

It rarely happens all at once. It can begin with actions that appear temporary, technical, or directed only at someone else.

The warning signs: Courts are ignored or intimidated. Critics face retaliation. Public agencies are used for personal or political purposes. Election rules are manipulated. Journalists and independent institutions are discredited. Lawbreaking by allies is excused. Human rights become conditional.

Because the process is gradual, people often wait for one unmistakable moment of crisis. But the danger is not always one dramatic event. It is the accumulation of smaller actions that slowly change the rules.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Democracy is not just an abstract political idea. It affects every part of our life: whether we can speak freely, organize, protest, raise a family, build a business, practice our beliefs, protect our communities, and demand a better future without fear.

It is the condition that allows us to fight for everything else we care about.

American democracy has never, ever worked equally for everyone. Defending it does not mean returning to an idealized past. It means protecting the space we need to build something more fair and accountable than what came before.

WHAT PROTECTS DEMOCRACY?

Courts, elections, laws, and public institutions remain essential. But institutions cannot protect democracy by themselves.

Democracy is strongest when people act and come together across different sectors and communities.

That can mean public servants doing their jobs with integrity, journalists reporting the truth, local governments using their authority, businesses refusing to enable abuse, workers organizing, communities protecting vulnerable neighbors, and ordinary people exercising their rights.

Not everyone has to do everything, but everyone can do something.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE?

Pay attention to changes in the rules, not only the personalities involved.

Defend rights consistently, including the rights of people with whom you disagree.

Support trustworthy journalism and accountable public institutions.

Build relationships outside your usual political, professional, or social circles.

Use the power you already have in your workplace, neighborhood, school, congregation, business, team, or creative practice.

Speak before abnormal behavior becomes normal.

Show up when a democratic line is crossed.

Democracy is not protected by spectators. It is protected by people who understand that individual choices become powerful when coordinated with others.

We do not have to agree on everything to defend the rights, freedoms, and democratic rules that belong to all of us.

The field belongs to the people.
There is no game without us.

READ THE RESEARCH

THE V-DEM DATASET

THE EPISODES OF REGIME TRANSFORMATION DATASET

PUBLIC TRUST IN GOVERNMENT: 1958-2025

THE V-PARTY DATASET

VARIETIES OF DEMOCRACY

AMERICANS FOR TAX FAIRNESS

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