This week, I’ve been posting on social media about the checks and balances built into our democracy. 

We have every reason to believe that the coming years will test the limits of our system’s checks and balances. But, as constitutional law professors have observed, our existing guardrails can be powerful tools for defending democracy. These checks and balances are designed to protect us from autocratic control. 

One check that we have seen emerge in the past week is the power of state governments. The California Attorney General, for example, is already preparing to “use every tool” to defend constitutional rights. Litigation in coordination with other states is a tool that California is preparing.

Another check comes from civil society. Nonprofit organizations, for example, showed up in significant ways during the last Trump administration and are gearing up to do so again. 

Our work in the coming months and years must include exploring and activating existing checks and balances in defense of our communities. 

Defending democracy is 24/7/365.