“We Can Mend Our National Division”

Walter Olson, Michael Sozan, and Cissy Jackson in a Baltimore Sun oped:

We’re living through an age in which American democracy and the rule of law face deep challenges. Mob violence, vicious rhetoric and even attempted assassinations have raised fears that we as a nation can no longer work out our differences peacefully at the ballot box.

In 2023 alone, there were 8,008 threats against members of Congress of both parties. Violent threats are also aimed at public servants involved in the judicial process, including judges, prosecutors, court personnel, juries and their families. In part due to a record number of threats, 39% of state and local election officials resigned in 2022, taking with them valuable institutional knowledge about administering elections. More than two-thirds of Americans across party lines now believe the republic is under threat, and almost 50% believe future presidential election losses will result in violence.

What can we do about this as individuals?

Among us, we three authors differ on any number of issues. But we agree on these ideas for lowering the temperature and getting American politics back on a more constructive track….

Walter also posts separately on how worried we should be about certification issues.

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