SEPTEMBER 2025 – A May 2025 Op-Ed in The NYT by three university professors – experts in government, two from Harvard, a third from Univ. of Toronto – quite credibly outlined our nation’s current slide toward authoritarianism. And their message – that collective defense can work – has resonated in recent months with bloggers and influencers and academics and media people, the very groups that have the followings and resources to firm up public sentiment.
…Civil society must act collectively. Chief executives, law firms, universities, media outlets and Democratic politicians, as well as more traditional Republicans, have a common interest in preserving our constitutional democracy. When organizations work together and commit to a collective defense of democratic principles, they share the costs of defiance. The government cannot attack everyone all at once. When the costs of defiance are shared, they become easier for individuals to bear.
…A collective defense of democracy is most likely to succeed when prominent, well-funded individuals and organizations — those who are best able to absorb blows from the government — get in the game.
There’s some evidence that, since this op-ed was published, the likes of Big Law and Big Media and Elite Academies are showing stiffening resolve. Still, one of the authors’ claims – that the courts remain largely independent – is more in doubt now than it was at the beginning of the year. The Supreme Court still hasn’t ruled on Trump administration orders on tariffs, immigration and the use of National Guard troops in cities.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/opinion/trump-authoritarianism-democracy.html