It’s tempting to think of democracy’s fragility only in terms of presidential elections, Supreme Court rulings, or congressional paralysis. But democracy doesn’t falter only on the national stage.
Its erosion begins in smaller, less visible places — in school boards, utility districts, and city councils — where citizens assume politics remains practical and nonpartisan, consensus-driven, and immune to the toxic currents of Washington.
That assumption, as Arizona and other states are learning, is dangerously naïve.
What we’re witnessing is part of a systematic pattern of authoritarian consolidation. What appear to be isolated skirmishes in small towns and counties are, in fact, part of a coordinated campaign to erode inclusive governance, dismantle professional administration, and weaponize local power against pluralism.
Read the entire commentary on Substack In The Center Lane With Herb Paine →
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