From a Google Image Search - KALW
Sadly, not many Americans will read Tyranny of the Minority by Levitsky and Ziblatt. It's not difficult to understand, but it is dense with historical evidence/proofs to back up the authors' points. Still, this is an important book, and all citizens ought to read this treatise or at least read a summation of the points these two now-famous authors make. They are neither revolutionary nor extremist, but rather scholars who study democracies - why democracies work, how they work, and what dismantles them or makes them less democratic.
Americans revere the founders and our documents, the authors say, but our founders knew our Constitution would need to be revised and updated. Certain antique features that have remained as facets of our republic, which democracies that formed later did not include in their founding documents, have allowed a minority party to exploit these anti-majoritarian features to keep power even though their numbers are in the minority.
Chapter 1: Fear of Losing opens with a lesson from Argentina and the Peron family. This is a discussion of the peaceful transfer of power. At the time when our nation was formed handing over power was not the norm anywhere in the world. Also discussed is the struggle between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson when the Federalists wanted to hold on to power and Jefferson contemplated the use of violence. "Outsized fear of losing turns parties against democracy," says one source. Examples from the German terms in office of Angela Merkel and from modern Thailand are also discussed.
Chapter 2: Banality tells the story of the crisis of a French party in 1934. What are the expectations of those who are loyal to democracy?
1. To respect the outcome of free/fair elections.
2. To reject the use of violence to stay in power.
3. To always break with undemocratic forces and watch out for semi-loyal democrats who play a passive role in democratic collapse.
"When mainstream parties protect authoritarian leaders, democracy dies."
Those who back democracy must:
1. Expel anti-democratic members.
2. Sever all ties with groups that back anti-democratic behavior.
3. Loyal democrats must unambiguously decry violent acts and condemn them publicly. Semi-loyalists try to have it both ways.
4. Join forces with rival democratic parties to defeat authoritarianism.
Examples from Spain in 1936 are used to make their point along with Joe McCarthy's Unamerican Activities campaign in America.
The authors list four ways to subvert laws:
1. Exploiting gaps or loopholes (Ex. denying Obama chance to name a Supreme Court Justice - had never happened before)
2. Excessive or undue use of the law (Ex. presidential pardons meant to be used sparingly, also impeachment).
3. Selective enforcement of laws.
4. Law-fare (as in warfare) - laws are used to target the opposition.
Orbán's journey towards illiberal democracy in Hungary is summarized:
1. Voting system was changed
2. Purged and packed the courts.
3. Expanded numbers of judges in their supreme court.
4. Passed a law changing retirement age for justices. By 2013
the judiciary was a puppet of the government.
5. Media became a government propaganda arm.
6. Used constitutional hardball to change the way seats were filled on Electoral committees and retained control of parliament regardless of the popular vote.
Chapter 3: It Has Happened Here brings to our attention a time after the Civil War when freed Black men began to fill important positions in the government of Wilmington, NC. This seemed to open the door to multiracial politics until a group of prominent white Democrats launched a violent crusade to restore white rule (remember those Democrats are now Republicans as the parties switched in the 1960's). It's not a pretty story but you should know about it. The prospect of multiracial rule angered the South in part because it upended social and racial hierarchies.
Chapter 4: Why the Republican Party Abandoned Democracy
During the term of Lyndon Johnson and the passage of the 1964-65 Civil Rights Bills these reforms passed with votes from both parties. 60 years later, the authors say, the Republican party has become unrecognizable. He reminds us that Republican Mike Lee called for "liberty, peace and prosperity" but not democracy. They inform us about VDEM which issues an annual illiberalism score. The GOP's illiberal score soared after 2000. Examples include the Republican's "Southern Strategy" and State's Rights and the added White Christian strategy of the "Moral Majority." Once again the rise of multiracial society threatens the White party, the Republicans." This chapter offers up the current situation in America.
Is the entire Republican Party anti-democratic? Answer these questions to determine their Democracy grade.
1. Did they sign on to the amicus brief to nullify votes in 2020?
2. Did they accede to manipulations of the Electoral College votes?
3. Did they cast doubt on the legality of the election?
4. Did they vote against Trump impeachment?
5. Were they against an independent commission to investigate 1/6?
6. Did they refuse to hold Steve Bannon in contempt for ignoring a subpoena?
Chapter 5: Fettered Majorities begins with a discussion of the disemboweling of the Voting Rights Act pre-clearance section in Shelby County v Holder and the 26 states that subsequently passed restrictive voting laws. Although Dems had total control when the John Lewis bill came to the floor the bill died again and again and finally two Democrats, Joe Manchin and Kirstin Sinema, killed it. A partisan minority is currently blocking majority power the author tells us. It can't be too easy to change the rules in a democracy and it can't be too difficult to change the rules either. We protect minority rights, but we are learning that there can also be a tyranny of the minority. In addition, one generation can tie the hands of future generations far into the future.
Chapter 6: Minority Rule begins with a discussion of German "bread lords" and the urban/rural divide in Germany at that time. Political institutions were frozen in place despite demographic and social changes. We are experiencing that same situation in 21st century America. Only in the 21st century have counter-majoritarian rules benefited a single political party. This is due to the same urban/rural divide encountered by the Germans in the 20th century. We now have a rural state bias in the US Senate, the Electoral College, and the Supreme Court. As a result, say the authors, "we run the risk of descending into 'minority rule'." They explain in some detail.
Chapter 7: America The Outlier explores how a country (America) that set out to find an audacious new idea for government has now fallen behind other democracies on scores determined by Freedom House. Most countries dismantled undemocratic sections of their constitutions. Elections would no longer be determined by "first past the post" rules. Upper chambers of government were no longer elitist, but either more representative or no longer existed at all. Cloture rules were simple as opposed to our filibuster rules which allow minorities parties to delay cloture altogether. Judicial review which allows Supreme Courts to overrule legislative laws is an area that has not been reformed. Other nations have laws about term limits for judges or specify a retirement age, which we do not. We have made some changes to rules to make them less counter-majoritarian as with the laws that allow direct elections of Senators, but we have kept most of the laws mentioned above. "The US" the authors say, is a democratic laggard." We have the hardest constitution to change and are now the least democratic of the world's democracies.
Chapter 8: Democratizing Our Democracy is necessary because in America majorities do not really rule. Remedies are offered up by the authors and most of them have to do with upholding the right to vote. I should not steal the author's thunder by offering potential readers a comprehensive list. You really should read the book. However, here are a few of the suggestions:
1. Establish automatic voter registration.
2. Expand mail-in and early voting
3. Schedule elections on weekends or holidays.
4. Restore national voting rights with federal oversight.
5. Ensure that elections results reflect what people want.
6. Abolish the Electoral College
7. Reform Senate to be proportional to the population.
8. Eliminate partisan gerrymandering.
9. Abolish the Senate filibuster, etc.
10. Make it easier to amend the Constitution.
This is an important book, and it is well-researched. I did not get to read a print version because I was having cataract surgery (which has turned out well). Listening to an academic book that reads like a text is not ideal. Page numbers to give attribution for direct quotes are not available and some quotes get missed because they go by too fast. This is a book that would be best added to your library in print so that you could refer to it as necessary. I had to take notes. These two authors will most likely not be heard by those who need to hear/read these truths because of our current partisan divide but Levitsky and Ziblatt are fighting along with many of us to save our democracy. Their academic approach adds gravitas to the points those of us who love democracy are trying to make.
From a Google Image Search - Wired Pen