Only the People Can Save us! An Approach to Activism Today

Stephen Buckingham
2 days ago
9 min read

Updated: 17 hours ago

As autocracy continues to exert more and more control of our Federal Government, many UUs are scrambling to find ways to resist and to protect those targeted by the Chief Executive. Some sign every petition, attend every rally, and write every letter that every organization requests. But trying to do everything asked of you can lead to burnout and discouragement if some things don’t go the way you had hoped. We suggest that you look at your own interests and capabilities, then make a plan to take specific types of actions in support of our democracy.

While many people focus on the usual branches of the Federal Government, the approach outlined here does not, because those parts of the US Government have largely sided with or been coopted or ignored by the Executive Branch.

Legislative Branch

There is an active opposition party in the Legislative Branch (Congress), but it is in the minority and lacks the numerical power to take action unless members of the majority party provide support. There has been little indication of majority party defection on issues, although some issues (e.g. releasing the Epstein files) have considerable support among its base, and a few lawmakers are now expressing support. We can only hope that this is the beginning of a trend, as more supporters of the President start to object to his policies.

Judicial Branch

Federal District Courts have issued many decisions that would limit the Executive’s actions, and several appellate courts (Circuit Courts of Appeal) have also sided with the lower courts. Unfortunately, the ultimate arbiter is the US Supreme Court which has overruled the lower courts in several instances, allowing the Executive to pursue some policies that many Americans believe undermine the US Constitution. Even where the courts have thwarted the unfettered use of Executive power, the President has ignored court orders or found other ways to achieve the same aims.

States

While the Federal Government’s actions impact many people, much of its programs, policies and grants are administered by the states. For example, all Medicaid programs are managed by the states, with funding from both the State and Federal Governments. Likewise, states manage their own insurance websites under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) within federal requirements. Changes to these programs or withdrawal of funding will create enormous problems for the states.

When the Federal Executive attempts to dismantle agencies or programs, it creates administrative and fiscal programs for every state. When it cancels grants to NIH, universities and nonprofits, they often turn to the State to help make up for the loss. In addition, thousands of Maryland residents who work for the Federal Government or its contractors, have lost their jobs, and the State has been scrambling to provide assistance. Maryland's Attorney General, Anthony Brown, has been busy filing lawsuit to block many of these actions, but the impact has already been felt.

The 2026 session of the Maryland General Assembly will be critical to the health and welfare of many state residents. We will be asking all UULM-MD members and their congregations to help guide Maryland lawmakers in grappling with these issues.

The People

The role of ordinary citizens is not usually included in civics classes or discussions of government operations, but it is likely the most important group needed to halt the march of authoritarianism in America today. Indeed, the people have an important role in governing since they have the ability to elect the Chief Executive and representatives in the Legislative Branch. This is where many elected officials and political parties direct many of their efforts in order to win:

Presidential elections (2028)
Congressional elections (2026), and
Off-year elections to fill vacancies.

While most of these elections are months in the future, this is where many people direct all of their focus. The people have more other power than we know, and we need to do more now.

Accountability through Protests

It is apparent that many people are not satisfied with the actions of their Senators or Congressmembers, and many seek to hold them accountable. Where lawmakers refuse to hold town hall meetings to face their constituents, voters have been demanding them and keep protesting until they are held. In addition, pro-democracy groups have urged citizens to contact their representatives to act on specific issues, using letters, emails, texts, petitions, and even in-person visits. These are all valid ways to promote accountability, with in-person visits having the most impact.

On a broader scale, Americans have maintained a large number of protests, marches and rallies to express their displeasure with actions if the Federal Executive. Hundreds of thousands have participated. These public events must continue if we hope to keep the pressure on elected leaders to change course. Historians have noted that authoritarian regimes have fallen when at least 3.5% of the entire population takes an opposing stand[1] For reference, the DC Women’s March in 2017 involved about 1.0 to 1.4% of the population, while the No Kings Day events of this past weekend involved around 7 million people at local events all around the country - about 2% of the population. Each protest this year has been larger than the last, so we are making progress.

Protecting the Vulnerable

Beyond holding our current lawmakers accountable or electing replacements, many pro-democracy groups have organized to file suit to stop autocratic actions, or support victims of these actions. The UUA’s efforts in this regard include creating a Community Resilience Hub of the UUA’s Side with Love campaign and recommends that our congregations and local area communities:

Maintain communication with one another - check in with your people and keep the lines of communication open.
Draw on lessons from the pandemic to make sure you have effective communications structures and a nimble strategy for how to make decisions together.
Pay attention to who is coming in and out of the building when your community is gathered.
Remember the importance of de-escalation as you take your own measures to support everyone’s safety.
Make sure you are connected with your regional staff, other local congregations, and experienced organizers in your own neighborhood.
Have conversations now about whose leadership and analysis you will look to for guidance.

Pillars of Support – a Deeper Strategy

If we hope to be effective in thwarting the anti-democratic aims of the new federal regime in Washington, we need to understand that all authoritarian leaders rely on key institutions and organizations that provide them with resources, legitimacy, and power needed to maintain control. These “pillars of support” function like columns holding up a political system or regime, enabling its leaders to exercise authority and suppress opposition.

Authoritarian regimes rely on these pillars to enforce laws, collect taxes, manage resources, and sustain their power. If significant parts of these pillars stop supporting such regimes and instead back democratic movements, it can lead to regime weakening or collapse.

Pro-democracy movements focus on:

Understanding the composition and incentives of each pillar,
Engaging key individuals within to shift loyalties away from authoritarianism,
Supporting broad social movements that pressure these pillars to withdraw their support, and
Utilizing dialogue, protests, institutional actions, and targeted outreach to change incentives.

Civil Service

Judging by actions of the new administration, it appears that the first and last columns are actually the most pro-democratic pillars, and the President has been working hard to change this. He has significantly reduced the federal workforce through a combination of tactics: early retirement buyouts, massive layoffs, selective firings, refusal to spend prior appropriations to fund staff, and dismantling of entire agencies.