Scholars of American democracy owe the public a candid evaluation of the current condition of our system of government and its prospects for survival. Rising polarization, a proliferation of antidemocratic attitudes, and weakening institutions have led many to believe that the state of American democracy is well past the point of caution or concern—it may be wavering on the brink of collapse. Will the same dynamics that led to a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, recur as Donald Trump and Joe Biden face each other again in this year’s electoral contest? For all practical purposes, American democracy may die on January 6, 2025, unless deliberate and concerted steps are taken to avert this crisis.
The January 6th, 2025, Project seeks to understand the social, political, psychological, and demographic factors that led to the January 6th insurrection and continue to threaten the stability of America’s democracy. This volume of The ANNALS captures a good deal of the project’s work, offering an assessment of the state of our democracy and insight into how it can be protected and strengthened. The collection of articles places a special emphasis on how to prepare for an attack on our electoral system that may very well occur on January 6, 2025.
