The Institute for Data, Democracy and Politics (IDDP) hosted an event that examined how the Trump presidency has tested democratic institutions and norms in the United States. The event, titled “The State of Democracy in Trump’s America: Year One,” was held at the Lerner Family Hall.
The new co-directors of IDDP, Catie Snow Bailard and Ethan Porter, opened the event by reaffirming the institute’s commitment to supporting evidence-based research that advances democratic values.
Bailard emphasized that IDDP’s mission is to foster interdisciplinary research aimed at understanding and mitigating threats to democracy stemming from digital technology. Porter noted that he anticipated the evening would be a really special event.
“We have such an esteemed group of panelists,” Porter said. “I want to thank them all for coming, for traveling from near and far.”
GW President Ellen M. Granberg delivered opening remarks, highlighting the importance of open dialogue and the urgent need to combat misinformation to preserve the values and norms that have sustained American democracy. She pointed to challenges like the rampant spread of misinformation, the blurring of reality by AI and the erosion of civic discourse.“A healthy democracy depends on respect for the rule of law, open debate, compromise and accountability to the people,” Granberg said. “The institutions, the norms, the collaborative spirit that once sustained our democracy have been under unprecedented strain for quite a while now. And it's being tested in novel ways.”
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., delivered the keynote address, offering a hopeful vision for American democracy grounded in inclusion and economic renewal.
He recalled that the last time he was on GW’s campus was during his 1995 internship working for Jack Quinn, who was the chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore at the time.
“If you had asked back when I was 18 years old, would an Indian American of Hindu faith, of middle-class background in Bucks County, whose grandfather was involved in Gandhi’s independence movement, become a member of Congress? The answer would have been, well, absolutely not,” Khanna said.
There are now six Indian Americans serving in Congress, he said. Khanna shared that story to remind young people that America remains a place of possibility. He addressed the nation’s growing polarization, describing it as a struggle over who gets to be considered American. “This country is progressing in spite of ourselves,” Khanna said. “And what we need to do is figure out how we are on the side of building a cohesive multiracial democracy.”
He pointed to the stark economic inequality in the country, advocating for a national strategy that ensures opportunity and economic independence for all Americans. He said as some insist on a narrow, exclusionary definition of who is considered American, he believes in Abraham Lincoln’s vision of American belonging, which was rooted not in ancestry, but in shared values.
“The vision that Lincoln articulated in 1858. See, Lincoln was struggling with the same issue… because back then, there were people that said you couldn't be American if you didn't fight in the Revolutionary War,” Khanna said.
He explained that Lincoln said you are not excluded from being American if you cannot trace your heritage back to the Revolutionary War.
“He said if you believe in the Constitution, if you believe in the Declaration of Independence, then there is an electric cord that links your hearts to the hearts of the founders. We need to be the party of Lincoln. We need to be the nation that articulates what this country truly means and what makes us exceptional.”
A discussion followed, featuring Harvard University political scientist Ryan Enos, Susan Stokes, director of the Chicago Center on Democracy, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eugene Robinson. The panel was moderated by Michael Tomasky, editor of “The New Republic.”
Stokes noted how many countries, including the United States, are experiencing democratic backsliding, which she defined as a decline in citizens’ ability to hold their government accountable. This trend also reflects a weakening of the capacity of political institutions and independent watchdog agencies to effectively monitor and restrain those in power.
“In the last 25 or 30 years, two dozen countries around the world have experienced democratic erosion,” Stokes said.
She identified income inequality as the most significant predictor of democratic decline. “The strongest, most consistent factor is inequality, the more unequal a society is, the more at risk it becomes for democratic erosion,” Stokes explained.
Much of the current confusion and tension in the United States, she said, stems from the growing divide between government actors exhibiting increasingly autocratic behavior and a citizenry that still believes in, and actively exercises, its democratic rights, such as petitioning the government and demanding accountability.
“We have this kind of tension between the nature of the government, its instincts and behaviors as a regime, and many people in civil society who believe in democracy,” Stokes said. “We’re pushing up against each other, and the outcome of that struggle carries enormous stakes.”
Despite these challenges, Stokes emphasized that civic engagement remains crucial.
“Acting like we live in a democracy is one of the most important things we can do,” Stokes said. “It’s incredibly important to vote, to support a free press and to keep exercising those democratic muscles.”
Enos spoke about how Americans are struggling to respond to these challenges. He highlighted that recent attacks on rights such as free speech have created a climate of fear and self-censorship. He described a growing chilling effect that has professors concerned their every move is being monitored and students are hesitant to practice their First Amendment rights. Enos added that part of the challenge lies in how Americans talk about these threats.
“It’s become clear that we don’t really know how to talk about this,” Enos said. “Too often, we end up using the language that authoritarian leaders give us.”
He explained that decades of democratic stability have conditioned Americans to assume political actions are made in good faith. “That previous democratic success has made our defenses weaker,” Enos said. “We expect honesty and accountability, so when authoritarian behavior appears, we often fail to recognize it for what it is.”
Despite his concerns, Enos said he still believes there’s reason for hope.
“I know that’s ending on a little bit of a down note, but I think we can all do something about this,” Enos said. “And I would urge us to think hard about how we face these challenges, together.”
Robinson reflected on his assignments throughout his career that have taken him around the world, including as The Washington Post’s South America correspondent from 1988 to 1992.
Covering countries like Argentina, Brazil and Peru, that were returning to democracy after a period of military dictatorship, taught him how fragile democracy can be once it’s lost.
“What struck me was that once the habits, norms and mores of democracy are gone, once they’re lost, they don’t just immediately reappear,” Robinson said. “It can take a long, long time to painstakingly reestablish those habits that are essential to a functioning democracy.”
Robinson warned that recent efforts to rewrite or sanitize American history threaten the nation’s understanding of itself.
“American history is all these strands,” Robinson said. “Jewish American history is American history. Native American history is American history. African American history is American history. And without any of those strands, the America we have today would not be the America we have today. And I am worried that this sort of basic self-evident fact is being sort of papered over and smeared and distorted in a way that is really damaging.”
He underscored the power of how we talk about our history in shaping our future.
“Those who control our story, those who control the narrative, have a good chance of controlling where that narrative goes,” Robinson said.
