What Do I Do in a Time Like This?

Towards a Democracy Defense Movement

If your community is anything like mine, there is a feeling of helplessness in the air. People are upset at Trump’s anti-democratic behavior, but they feel that there is not much they can do about it. Most of us don’t have much in the way of real power—we aren’t congresspeople or university presidents or federal judges or partners at fancy law firms. At times it feels like all we can do is sit back and hope these sorts of people do a good job and do the right thing.

Proto autocrats like Trump may seem scary and powerful, but their coalitions have inherent weaknesses. A central theme of political history is that authoritarian movements can be effectively opposed by the dignity, authenticity, and courage of normal people. In fact, that is really the only way they can be opposed.

We have reached the point where we should start thinking about ourselves as part of a broader social movement. This isn’t about partisan politics anymore or having the Democrats take back the House, though that may be a byproduct of what we do. It’s about something much deeper and broader than that. The coalition for democracy needs to include people from all parties and walks of life, and it’s about more than electoral politics.

The most vibrant social movements are fluid—as Bruce Lee would say, like water—strong but sensitive, adapting to the moment. They are creative, turning the phrases and tropes of the oppressors against them. Most importantly, they usually leaderless. Anyone can be a leader, at any time, in any number of ways.

In honor of yesterday’s National Day of Action, here are ideas about effective ways to participate in our Democracy Defense Movement.

Day of Action March in Hartford, CT— Photo courtesy of Sharon Truex

1. Do SOMETHING

This is not a time to sit it out until the 2026 midterms. Our country is at what political scientists would call a “critical juncture.” Most of the time, the basic norms and institutions of the country reproduce themselves, but every now and then we experience a period of “thickened history” when things are broken and created anew. As a citizen, these moments are bewildering and exhausting. This what we are going through right now. A lot is happening all at once, and a lot is on the line. The health of our democracy for the next 10 years may well depend on what happens in the next 3-4 months.

We should be mobilized, and more politically active than we are in normal times. We should probably be more politically active now than we have ever been in our entire lives. Political participation takes many forms—voting, donating, volunteering, protesting, petitioning, boycotting… even just having an uncomfortable conversation with someone you might disagree with.

The trick is to find the mode of participation and the issue you feel best positioned to contribute to. There are so many different causes in jeopardy right now—healthcare, science, the environment, immigrant rights, and of course, democracy itself. This is a multi-front movement. Work on those you feel most passionate about, in ways that fit your resources and your skills.

2. Be Visible in Your Opposition

The broader goal of the Democracy Defense Movement should be to raise civic awareness of what democracy means, and in turn, to erode Trump’s base of support. Trump is already using the repressive toolkit to try to induce a chilling effect. It is important to repeatedly register our rights and our disagreement with the authoritarian abuses of this administration, and to do so publicly. This doesn’t mean getting on social media or taking to the streets, although both are fine options. It can mean something as simple as raising your concerns with a friend or putting a sign in front of your house. Talk about your concerns and your actions with family and neighbors. The more types of people that do this, the stronger the movement becomes, because it cannot be dismissed as the workings of fringe activists. The Democracy Defense Movement must be mainstream.

3. Expand Your Circle

I asked the question—“what do we do in a time like this?”— to my friend Grigore Pop-Eleches, a scholar of post-communism in Eastern Europe. His answer noted how it’s important to develop ties across the normal lines that divide us, whether it be class, race, gender, geography, or party. This way, when something happens to somebody, news of that transgression can spread through the broadest possible community like wildfire, in turn begetting a stronger mobilization response.

In developing new ties, you are contributing to our country’s stock of “social capital”— “social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them.” That definition is from political scientist Robert Putnam, who has famously argued that connections among individuals help hold governments accountable.

Authoritarian governments like their societies atomized, for this precise reason. They spend a great deal of time making it difficult for citizens to communicate with each other and organize independently of the state. We should emerge from this moment closer with each other, and more embedded in our communities than ever before.

4. Invest in Organizations and Organizing

A couple weeks ago I wrote about how American legal culture is unique and may be a source of our democratic resilience. I would also add that our civic culture—the density of our nonprofits and other social organizations—is another huge source of strength. We have more registered nonprofits than any other country in the world. I suspect that these types of places are going to increasingly come under attack in the next few months. Trump may subject them to audits, jeopardize their nonprofit status, or find other ways to attack their funding. If you have the means, now is the time to put your money where your mouth is. And if you don’t, you can give your time.

5. Commit to Nonviolence

There is no room for violence or crime in this political movement. I am not a fan, for example, of the vandalism of Tesla dealerships. I understand the impulse, but these sorts of actions are counterproductive, as they will give Trump the pretext for further repression. Autocrats thrive on perceptions of lawlessness, and they often depict themselves as the only ones capable of restoring law and order. The Democracy Defense Movement must be orderly and peaceful.

6. Be a Citizen

Often, we don’t think of ourselves as citizens, or we use that word to simply say we are legal residents of a country. Citizenship is much deeper than that. It entails the rights of democracy but also a responsibility to protect it. Our dissident colleagues living under authoritarian rule have a better grasp of this. Here is Chinese dissident Xu Zhiyong, one of the founders of the New Citizens Movement, on what citizenship should mean:

Citizens are not subjects, and do not bow down before power. They are not “the worthless little people” trampled on like ants amid historical changes. They are not docile subjects, who have duties but no rights, and who must obey and endure mistreatment. They are not a hateful mob, ruthlessly burning, killing and looting. Citizens are the people of a democratic, rule of law-based free nation. Citizens are independent and free individuals, who share the happiness, as well as bear responsibility, of a just order –– they are upright, fair, peaceful, and rational.

I love that line, “citizens are not subjects.” We are not here to be ruled. But nor are we a “hateful mob.” We are “upright, fair, peaceful, and rational,” even when our government fails to be.

The Power of the Powerless

The gist of this piece today is to tell you to do a lot of little things, many of which you might already be doing. That might be unsatisfying. Does all this little stuff really matter? Yes, yes it does. I genuinely believe it does. The small-scale protests and activism happening all around the country—what we might call micro-mobilization— collectively amount to much more. Protest events in 2025 are significantly higher than they were in 2017, and this was before yesterday’s events.

This mobilization helps erode support for authoritarian policies. It helps protect people who are vulnerable. It helps strengthen our communities and organizations. It sends a signal to political elites. It prepares us for the election to come. While individually, citizens may feel powerless, together they are powerful.

Ok we have officially entered cheesy territory so I will leave it there for today. Please share this one, as broadly as possible. And in the comments, share something you have done in the last month to defend democracy— it doesn’t matter how small. Be visible in your opposition.

On my end, if anyone would like me to speak to their organization or community about authoritarianism and democracy defense, I would be honored to do so. Please reach out through the Substack app or via email, rtruex@princeton.edu. Thanks for reading and supporting my work.

Rory