Leading scholars sound alarm over ‘demise’ of democracy in US

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alarm over ‘demise’ of democracy in US

More than 100 leading scholars in the United States sounded the alarm in an open letter Tuesday about what they see as the “demise” of democracy in their country.

The letter was signed by more than 100 researchers and professors working at the most prestigious universities, such as Harvard, Stanford and Yale.

The scientists warn of the “erosion of the democratic process,” which they have been observing lately around U.S. elections. They refer, among other things, to the last presidential election.

Former President Donald Trump insisted after the election that fraud could be the only reason he lost to current President Joe Biden. Trump repeatedly suggested that there had been fraud at polling stations and while counting the votes, without ever providing evidence of that.

The way Trump’s Republican party colleagues influenced the local election process is also cause for concern for the scientists. For example, Republicans tried to prevent votes sent by mail from being counted.

“Radical damage to core democratic values has been done across the country in recent months. In some states, this means that there is a political system that no longer meets the criteria for free and fair elections, and therefore our entire democracy is at risk.”

alarm over ‘demise’ of democracy in US

‘Voting law a good step, but not enough’

The letter calls for federal action against lawmakers and politicians who have tried to “stop or influence the democratic course of the election.”

A new voting law would be a “step in the right direction,” but the scientists want more to be done to guarantee all Americans the right to vote.

The scholars warn that once democracy is in “a negative spiral,” it could take decades for a country to recover from it. In the meantime, violence, corruption, political chaos and social unrest can emerge, ultimately causing “undermining national prosperity.”

It explicitly mentions the storming of the Capitol on January 6. A demonstration by Trump supporters outside the U.S. Congressional seat got out of hand as rioters stormed the building and forcibly entered it.

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