Our Cross-Partisan Commitments to Advance American Freedoms and Oppose Autocracy
By Principles First | State Democracy Defenders Action | Democracy Forward and individual signers listed below
Based upon the proceedings of Autocracy in America – A Warning and Response
We include liberals, conservatives, and centrists; Democrats and Republicans; and officials who have served in every presidential administration over the past half century from Nixon to Trump, and in other federal and state government roles over the past half century under both major political parties. We are alarmed about the rising autocratic movement in the United States that threatens the American idea and the American people. January 6, 2021, represented an ugly inflection point of this movement and it is driving forward with authoritarian proposals like Project 2025 that constitute an assault on the freedoms of every American. This movement threatens to eviscerate our rights, our prosperity, and our stability and security upon which our nation and the world rely.
But it’s not American just to be negative — that’s not our way. Yes, we sound the alarm, but then we solve the problem. So we’re coming together as people who have many policy disagreements but who wholeheartedly concur on the greatness and promise of American freedom. We are doing so to oppose the rise of American autocracy and endorse the following 10 principles to guide our shared cross-partisan alternative vision of where we want to take our country in 2025 and beyond:
1. We believe in the foundational idea of rule of law. Our country cannot be led by anyone who believes they are not accountable to our Constitution or who repeatedly and persistently violates civil and criminal statutes. That is disqualifying and contrary to the principle of rule of law.
2. We believe in truth, facts, science, and evidence. It is also disqualifying for a president, or any political leader, to deal in misinformation or lies. As with adherence to the rule of law, our political leaders have been highly imperfect and we should expect and demand more from all of our elected leaders. We recognize that no person is perfect in this regard but that there are differences in degree and kind among leaders. We want elected officials who embrace truth, who understand science, and who seek to tell the truth.
3. We believe that the right to vote in free and fair elections is the foundation of our democracy. We believe that all citizens of voting age should have an equal right and ability to vote, and for their votes to be counted. Access to the ballot box without discrimination is imperative and we should make voting easier, not more difficult for people. Our election administration should never be influenced by partisanship. As leaders from both parties have exhibited in the past, Americans want electoral outcomes to be accurate, and do not want politicians to baselessly attack the results and accept them only when they win.
Even in the most hyper-partisan controversies of the past, concessions by Democrats such as Al Gore and Hillary Clinton and Republicans like Richard Nixon were not just possible but celebrated as an exemplary representation of American patriotism. Our country cannot be led by those who are not committed to the right to vote in free and fair elections and the peaceful transition of power. Social science teaches that authoritarians rarely change their dispositions when they seize power. While a political minority today, they are more ascendant and active in America than before. Those of us who embrace democracy must peacefully but vigorously oppose authoritarianism at the ballot box and otherwise.
4. We believe in civil discourse about our differences. We know and even celebrate that we are not going to agree on every policy. But we should adjudicate those disagreements respectfully, including through legislative and governmental processes and courteous public discourse. We agree to listen and try to understand each other — and to be open to compromise. We embrace intellectual humility and know we might not be right, and are willing to keep an open mind. Just like in any family, in the American family we make room for the views of others as part of our allegiance to the larger democratic project.
Accordingly, we strongly oppose political violence. Our national moments of greatest strength and triumph emerged from rejecting violence even amidst strong political strife and debate. Opening the Pandora’s box of violence as a political means signals the erosion of the most basic democratic norm. We endured catastrophe on January 6, 2021 — and teetered on the brink of an even worse one if that attempt to prevent the electoral count had succeeded. That wounded our democracy, signaling the end of a long streak of the peaceful transfer of power in this country, but democratic forces prevailed. This was a grievous warning, as was much that has followed including the recent shooting tragedy targeting one of our major political party candidates. We must heed these warnings and work to prevent violence from becoming a tool that political actors use to wield power. Embracing political violence should be disqualifying for anyone who wants to hold political office in our country.
5. We believe in the importance of an independent, non-partisan civil service. Civil servants in our country swear an oath to the Constitution and work in our government irrespective of the political party or ideology of the person elected to the Presidency. Our civil servants’ obligations to the people of this country, the Constitution, and the rule of law serve a fundamental role in effective democratic governance. Weaponizing the government to politicize these experts and public servants would pervert that mission and harm the lives of all Americans. The agencies of the United States should not be twisted to serve partisan interests, and the thousands of civil servants who make up those agencies should be protected from, and independent of, political pressures or intimidation.
6. We believe in the importance of ethical government. It should be a basic point of agreement that politicians and judges should not be profiting from their offices. Members of both parties have failed in this regard, too. Now is a moment to recommit our country to high ethical standards. We accordingly oppose governmental corruption in all forms. Refusing to tolerate corruption is a crucial part of upholding the rule of law and democratic institutions.
7. We believe in the United States’ leadership role in the world. At its best this country has been the foundation and bellwether for a more peaceful and prosperous world. While our nation has not always lived up to its role and obligations, in previous moments of democratic peril, the United States led the way to triumph over autocratic forces. The fight for democracy is being waged throughout the world yet again and we must continue to exhibit pro-democracy global leadership in the 21st century. That includes a military and intelligence community committed, above all, to the Constitution and the rule of law in all they do abroad and at home.
8. We believe in an economy that brings prosperity for all. While we have disagreements about specific policies, there are basic principles all of us understand are necessary for a thriving and healthy economy. First and foremost among them is stable democratic leadership. The chaos and instability of autocratic and kleptocratic regimes disturb and unsettle economies, endangering prosperity for all.
9. We believe in a free press and the First Amendment. That means when the press reports something about you that you don’t like but is true, you don’t attack them. While that can be personally unpleasant, the press serves a vital role in informing citizens and continuing to foster a culture that champions free speech. They are not the “enemy of the people,” but instead a fundamental, vibrant, powerful, and productive (if at times flawed) element in our democratic mosaic. Failure to respect all the freedoms in the First Amendment and the Constitution—much less threatening to terminate it—is disqualifying for any political leader. That means we also affirm freedom of religion and the pluralism of this country. Efforts to impose narrow and rigid religious ideologies on others or to deny the humanity and equality of people in the name of religion are antithetical to democracy.
10. We believe in equality and civil rights for all and the importance of American diversity. A true democratic society serves all people, with their myriad complexities and differences. We acknowledge that throughout its history the United States has fallen far short of embracing equality and civil rights for all but that the promise of this country has been the striving toward justice and true democracy and we have made meaningful progress across our long history. It must continue. We oppose backsliding on civil rights and equality and do not believe a person can lead this country who is not committed to equal rights and to recognizing the inherent dignity of all people.
This is a working draft. Signers in their individual capacities include Ruth Ben-Ghiat, John Dean, Bill Kristol, Allegra Lawrence-Harvey, Norman Ornstein, Asha Rangappa, Olivia Troye and Maya Wiley. Additional signers will be added. Attendance or speaking at the conference Autocracy in America – A Warning and Response does not imply endorsement of these principles.
The comments of every American are welcome. Please email them to press@statedemocracydefenders.org. Thank you!