Title: Political Scholars Warn of Threat to Democracy Following Capitol Attack Anniversary
Washington (AP) – Three years after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, the political landscape of the United States remains tumultuous. In a follow-up to their 2018 bestseller “How Democracies Die,” authors Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky have outlined three rules that political parties must follow for the preservation of democracy.
According to Ziblatt and Levitsky, political parties must accept the results of fair elections, reject the use of violence to gain power, and break ties to extremists. However, in the aftermath of the 2020 election, they write that only one U.S. political party “violated all three” rules.
The authors highlight the support for former President Donald Trump within the Republican Party, despite Trump’s refusal to acknowledge his loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Trump has also welcomed extremists at his rallies and has suggested the possibility of pardoning some individuals convicted of violent crimes related to the Capitol riot.
The authors’ warnings come at a time of heightened political division and uncertainty. President Biden commemorated the Jan. 6 attack, stating that “we nearly lost America – lost it all” on that day. With Trump positioning himself as the leading Republican candidate for the 2024 election, the democratic process in the United States is facing significant challenges.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, who led Trump’s impeachment over the insurrection, emphasized the importance of preserving the truth about the events of Jan. 6, 2021. Raskin envisions a future Capitol exhibit to commemorate the attack, and several officers impacted by the riot are taking action to ensure that similar events never occur again.
The events of Jan. 6, 2021 marked the first time in American history that a peaceful transfer of presidential power was disrupted. The authors’ observations and warnings underline the fragility of democracy, with the test of the 2024 election looming large as a key moment for the future of American governance.