On Tyranny - Lesson 3: Be Aware of the One Party State

Making my way through this book is so easy, it's unreal. I sometimes struggle to trudge through non-fiction, especially historical non-fiction. But knowing each lesson is under 5 pages makes it super accessible. I highly recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in reading political non-fiction. Lesson 3 is really about staying vigilant in watch of Democracy. You never know when it might be your last chance to defend it.

Snyder asserts that when Germans, Czechoslovakians, and Russians took part in their last elections, they didn't know it in advance (Germany holds elections today, but it didn't for more than a decade after electing Hitler). We can't afford to neglect our civic duties. We need to participate as actively as we can, and pay close attention to anti-democratic policies or values.

Snyder contends that there is much to do to fix the election process to make it more free and more fair. For example, he suggests always using paper ballots because they can't be tampered with as easily and can be recounted. He also mentions that we need to fix the system "so that each citizen has one equal vote.." and I'm not sure if this is a reference to abolishing the electoral college, but I do want to dig into that idea.
The last lesson was to defend institutions, but I would contend that the electoral college is not an institution we should die on the hill of. Its roots stretch back to slavery, for one. When the founders were deciding on the best method to elect the President the populations in the North and South were roughly equal, but one-third of people living in the South were enslaved. So the South would have been at an electoral disadvantage with a simple popular vote because obviously they wouldn't allow enslaved people to vote. Not everyone was on board with an electoral college right away. James Madison, for example, expressed personal preference for a popular vote, but decided along with the rest of the founders that the electoral college was the easiest way to appease the South in the decision. Over the centuries, the electoral college has at times given advantage to Democrats and at others to Republicans. Currently, according to a 2019 study by the University of Texas, it offers a significant advantage to Republicans. I want to be clear that I would hold the same position of abolishing the electoral college if it were to benefit Democrats. I don't think any systems or institutions should give advantage to one party or another. One person, one vote. Every citizen is allowed to vote (despite suppression efforts all over the country, and with some exceptions) - I think we should make every vote count.

Either way, the point remains that there is much to do to strengthen our democracy. From addressing voter suppression, to holding our elected officials accountable to their constituents, there is always work to do. Lesson three suggests that there always will be work to do. Democracy isn't something we can acquire and set on a shelf like a trophy. It requires regular maintenance and repairs. We need to make sure to stay engaged even outside of the presidential races. Local elections often garner abysmal turnout; we need to change that. We need to bolster democracy from the local level up. Participating in local politics is more than just turning out for elections, too. It's making sure others are able to vote as well, and maintaining a certain level of awareness for what our local municipalities are up to. How are they using our taxes? Who's benefitting from their current status quo? And what can we do to change that target demographic to uplift the marginalized? Your voice counts as much as anyone else's, so get to know your local reps and make sure they know where you stand.

We also learn in this lesson that the book was written after 2016 when Trump was elected the first time. In hindsight, we hear a lot about how Trump's first term wasn't too bad; how he didn't bring an end to democracy then. How quickly we forget. I have 2 points I want to make on this topic. 1.) He tried. Not only did he spend his entire presidency sowing chaos and trying to undo Obama's success, he successfully tipped the Supreme Court enough to overrule a 50-year precedent in Roe v Wade, and we can't forget the failed coup he orchestrated in an attempt to forego the peaceful transfer of power after he lost the 2020 election. He spent his entire presidency eroding our checks and balances and committed numerous crimes while in office. 2.) We live in a different world, squarely because of Trump's first term. Presidents have cart blanche to commit crimes during their terms, which alone is enough to change the tides. And with have control of all three branches through cult members in the legislature and cabinet ready and willing to halt the operation of government at his will, it may be more difficult than ever to fight for our Democracy. Still, the fight must go on. If not now, when? You never know when you'll get your last chance.