This week The Steady State reveals the gradual but consistent nature of the autocratic decline we are experiencing: not in sudden crisis but in steady transformation, where democratic institutions are increasingly bent toward political ends rather than breaking outright. Law enforcement and national security tools show signs of being used for retribution, while whistleblowers and […]
In this podcast episode of “What is Engaged Pluralism Podcast,” Kimberly Williams Brown of Vassar College Executive Director of The Steady State, Steven Cash, as he discusses an earlier disrupted talk at the college. Cash urges civic engagement, dialogue, and constitutional literacy as he warns that rising political polarization and attempts to control speech, whether […]
While China’s military purge reflects its authoritarian system, the United States is choosing a similar path—trading competence for loyalty and risking long-term strategic consequences. Secretary of Defense Hegseth has ironically expanded US military competition with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) – not to improve our position vis-a-vis China, but through a politically driven purge of […]
An abridged version of the author’s “Emergency Planning: The president is Preparing to Challenge 2026 Midterms. The Country Can Still Act to Protect Them,.” Published by The Washington Spectator You don’t need certainty about how a crisis unfolds to know preparation is essential. Most Americans have never heard of Presidential Emergency Action Documents. Known as […]