Nick Allison challenges the fatalism that says peaceful protest has “already been tried.” Drawing on data from Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan, he argues that disciplined nonviolent movements succeed far more often than violent uprisings—and that no campaign reaching even 3.5 percent of a population’s active participation has ever failed. From Gandhi to King to Havel, history shows the power of organized nonviolence, and Allison contends Americans have yet to test it at scale. His call isn’t for revolution but for civic discipline: fill the streets, stay peaceful, and defend democracy without surrendering the moral high ground. Violence, he warns, only feeds authoritarianism; sustained, visible nonviolence erodes it.
No Kings: National Day of Action, October 18
On October 18, the No Kings coalition is organizing a National Day of Action with one clear message: America has no kings, and power belongs to the people. Their call is rooted in disciplined nonviolence — organizers stress de-escalation, lawful action, and a strict ban on weapons at events. Trainings on protest safety and “know your rights” are underway, equipping participants to resist authoritarian drift without feeding cycles of violence.
American Democracy Might Be Stronger Than Donald Trump
POLITICO Magazine, Sept. 19, 2025 — by Jonathan Schlefer
Schlefer argues that while Trump threatens democratic norms, the U.S. has unusual sources of resilience compared with countries that slid into autocracy. Rich, long-lived democracies rarely die; the U.S. presidential system’s checks and balances make wholesale court-packing and constitutional rewrites harder than in parliamentary systems; and Trump’s popularity is far below the sky-high approval that enabled figures like Fujimori and Bukele to crush checks. A robust legal profession and civil society can resist overreach, and the Supreme Court—even with conservative justices—has limits and incentives that don’t align with blind Trumpism. Risks remain (inequality, polarization, episodic lawlessness, rising political violence), but large, nonviolent protest—including movements approaching the 1–3.5% participation range—signals broad opposition and can deter authoritarian consolidation. Bottom line: U.S. democracy is wounded, not doomed.
Critical Mass: Three Point Five Percent 