Susan Glasser on Elections, Authoritarian Drift and the Work of Defending Democracy
JUDJ-Prepared Summary from February 18, 2026 | Collapsing Norms: Can American Democracy Survive This Stress Test? The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the speaker.
In a recent America at a Crossroads discussion, Susan Glasser, staff writer at The New Yorker, longtime Washington journalist, and experienced observer of both American politics and authoritarian systems abroad, explored the growing risks facing U.S. elections and democratic institutions. The purpose of the interview was to examine how election distrust, executive overreach, and weakened civic resistance could deepen democratic decline unless citizens, institutions, and civil society respond with urgency.
The Fight Over Elections Has Already Begun
A central theme in the conversation was Glasser’s argument that efforts to undermine confidence in elections are not theoretical or future concerns. In her view, they are already underway. She described a pattern in which doubt is seeded early, rules are challenged before voting takes place, and the public is conditioned to distrust results that do not favor one side.
What makes this especially dangerous, she argued, is that the effort now appears more organized and more deliberate than in the past. Rather than waiting until after ballots are counted, the groundwork is being laid in advance through rhetoric, policy pressure, and attempts to reshape the rules of the game.
The Lasting Damage of the Big Lie
Glasser stressed that false claims of widespread voter fraud continue to poison public understanding. Despite repeated investigations and court reviews, millions of Americans still believe the 2020 election was stolen. She argued that this demonstrates the power of repetition and the danger of normalizing falsehoods through constant political messaging.
That history matters because it lowers the threshold for future challenges. If so many people accepted a false narrative about an election that was not especially close, Glasser warned, the risk is even greater in a tighter contest where confusion could be more easily exploited.
Why Politics Alone Will Not Be Enough
The conversation also challenged the idea that a single election victory by Democrats would automatically restore democratic normalcy. Glasser argued that the country is not simply waiting to swing back to an earlier, more stable version of politics. Too many norms have been broken, and too many institutions have already been weakened.
She emphasized that the interests of a political party are not always the same as the interests of democracy itself. Saving democratic institutions, she suggested, will require more than campaign wins. It will require civic engagement, institutional courage, and a public willing to defend constitutional principles even when doing so is difficult.
No Savior, but a Civic Responsibility
Glasser ended on a note that was sober but not hopeless. She said she is not looking for one heroic figure to solve the problem. Instead, she placed her faith in ordinary people, principled judges, working journalists, and communities willing to stand up when it matters.
Her message was simple and powerful: fear can spread, but courage can spread too. Democracy is not self-sustaining. It depends on citizens who are prepared to show up, speak out, and do the hard work required to protect it.
About America at a Crossroads
Since April 2020, America at a Crossroads has produced weekly virtual programs on topics related to the preservation of our democracy, voting rights, freedom of the press, and a wide array of civil rights, including abortion rights, free speech, and free press. America at a Crossroads is a project of Jews United for Democracy & Justice.
