Because ... 2020.
Think you know how democracy fared in 2020? Test yourself.
The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent economic calamity will be remembered as the top stories of the year along with an extraordinarily contentious presidential contest — which faced extra challenges from Covid-19 and the incumbent president's unprecedented crusade to discredit American democracy. But the system survived, even as it got set back in some ways and improved at the margins in others.
How well do you remember the big moments in the world of democracy reform this past year? Take this quiz to find out.
The election went remarkably well. Here's how to make the next one even better.
We haven't yet seen evidence that would cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election — even with the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic, the threat of foreign interference, civil unrest and greater turnout than any time since 1900. That counts as a resounding success.
Once the final tallies are certified, we need to thank the election administrators and poll workers whose heroic efforts preserved American democracy. After that, we need to assess what worked best and what needs to improve, so we can identify achievable steps to make future elections even more secure.
Based on what we know so far, here are five things that should be on the U.S. elections to-do list:
- Senate blocks three more election security bills - The Fulcrum ›
- States build own lines of election security defense - The Fulcrum ›
- Who's allowed to enforce election security? - The Fulcrum ›
A centrist bloc at the Supreme Court?
A lot of coverage of the Supreme Court's recent election-related decisions has focused on the new conservative majority, and how that may be a dark development for voting rights. Election Dissection contributor Edward B. Foley has an alternative take in The Washington Post.
Three recent decisions show that Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh may become centrist swing votes on some election issues, Foley says. Roberts and Kavanaugh are charting a middle ground between the court's three liberals and three staunchest conservatives, he says.
- A packed Supreme Court would neuter judicial independence - The ... ›
- Congress has plenty to fix, but not the Supreme Court - The Fulcrum ›
- Twin rulings on Trump's taxes tilt the balance of power - The Fulcrum ›
- It's time to end life tenure at the Supreme Court - The Fulcrum ›
Four ways to fix voting before the next election
With only five days remaining before Nov. 3, it's not too early to take stock of how things should have been different. Here are four things that need to happen before the next election. All four reforms derive from actual controversies over the past six months, things that never should have been the subject of extended legal or political battles.
- Protecting the Integrity of U.S. Elections: A Conversation with Rep ... ›
- Politicians, philanthropists push election integrity - The Fulcrum ›
- Bipartisan panel launches $20M election integrity effort - The Fulcrum ›
- State by state, electoral reform is happening — but not fast enough ›
- Voter Protection Corps final thoughts on 2020 vote - The Fulcrum ›