Communicating about Democracy Under Threat

This article by the FrameWorks Institute explores the challenges in conveying the fragility of democratic institutions to the public. It identifies three main obstacles: the tendency to equate government solely with current leaders, the belief that American actions inherently define democracy, and the abstract nature of concepts like authoritarianism, which can feel disconnected from daily life. To bridge this gap, the article suggests linking these abstract ideas to people’s lived experiences of uncertainty and powerlessness, thereby making the threats to democracy more tangible and relatable.