An 1892 cartoon in Judge magazine condemns Southern efforts to suppress the Black vote. Mississippi’s 1890 constitution was the first to impose voting restrictions that mostly affected Black voters in the South. Southern states quickly followed, with Congress and the federal judiciary unable or unwilling to enforce constitutional voting protections. (From the New York Public Library: Public domain )
This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.
The end of American democracy won’t be a man declaring himself dictator for life or crowning himself king.
It will come incrementally. Through a rapid narrowing of the electorate that can vote without facing state intimidation.
The forms and rituals of the republic will remain in place. But the spirit will be entirely gone.
And we don’t have to speculate about this outcome. Or look to a foreign country for an example.