Attacks on Democratic Institutions

Our democracy depends not just on the institutions that help it function, but on our faith in those institutions to protect us.

But those institutions are continually under siege by groups and activists seeking to undermine trust in elections and deny our increasingly diverse electorate access to representation or ideas that reflect their identities.

For years, American Oversight has been exposing the election denial movement as it seeks to weaken the public’s faith that our elections reflect the true will of the people.

While former President Trump’s lies about his 2016 popular vote totals laid the groundwork for his eventual all-out attempt to upend our democracy, the myth of widespread voter fraud has for decades been used to push for more voting restrictions that disproportionately affect BIPOC and other marginalized communities. 

That undercurrent of erroneous mistrust has provided the anti-democracy movement a dangerous weapon. It fed the former president’s corrupt attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss — including the failed and deadly insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, that was inspired by his lies — and gave rise to what has become a powerful movement that poses an existential threat to our democracy.

In the years since, the election denial movement has used a variety of tactics to fan the flames of election skepticism. From the discredited and partisan election audits and inquiries of 2021 to the ongoing push for certification delays and mass voter-registration challenges, American Oversight has been tracking the network of activists and groups behind these efforts, using public records to look behind the scenes at the powerful interests driving and capitalizing on disillusionment and disinformation — and infiltrating public office as they pursue power.

At the same time, those wishing to transform the American public into one in which everyone shares the same conservative worldview have also targeted public education, the institution central to ensuring an informed and engaged electorate.

Public records uncovered by American Oversight have shown how limits to student expression and bans on books or classroom discussions have had a chilling effect on educators. Overhauls of curriculum and textbooks prevent students from gaining a full understanding of the world around them, including our country’s history with racial injustice. Political forces are also manipulating public education by diverting resources to private interests while white Christian nationalists are injecting a singular religious perspective into public schools.

The health of our democracy depends on how effectively election boards, public schools, and other essential institutions can represent and serve the full range of our society.