"In Defense of Civil Society, a column from the staff at Protect Democracy, provides timely, research-driven analysis on why protecting American democracy requires protecting civil society and how nonprofits can navigate this moment, stand in solidarity, and continue our mission-oriented work. Welcome to In Defense of Civil Society, a new column from the staff at Protect Democracy, a cross-ideological nonprofit dedicated to defeating the authoritarian threat. Today marks one year since Donald Trump was sworn into office for the second time."
"The first days and weeks of the second Trump presidency might fairly be characterized as spectacle. According to the administration's own tally, "[T]he President signed more executive orders on his first day in office than any other president in history." These orders covered an extraordinarily wide range of topics, from reshaping the federal workforce to border security to " ending...forced use of paper straws." The intended effect on civil society and others was to intimidate, overwhelm, and divide our energy and attention."
Over the first year of the second Trump presidency, the administration issued an unprecedented flurry of executive actions across diverse topics intended to intimidate, overwhelm, and divide civil society. Many early measures signaled a broader strategy to consolidate executive power and reduce checks and balances, following patterns identified as an authoritarian playbook. Nonprofits and other civil society institutions became targeted early as the administration sought to maximize presidential authority. The combination of rapid executive orders and rhetoric aimed to suppress dissent and constrain civic capacity, posing strategic challenges for organizations committed to mission-driven work and democratic resilience.
Read at Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.
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