Electing leaders who will not give up power
20 May 2024
Democracy, defined as people choosing their leaders in free and fair elections, is a privilege that did not exist until the recent past:
In the late 18th century, no country could be meaningfully characterized as a democracy. Regimes of the World classifies almost all of them as closed autocracies, in which citizens do not have the right to choose their political leaders through elections.
Elections spread throughout the 19th century, but they were often marred by limitations. Many countries became electoral autocracies, in which political leaders were chosen through elections, but citizens lacked additional freedoms to make those elections free and fair. Only a few countries held elections that were sufficiently meaningful to call them electoral democracies. And even fewer had the additional individual and minority rights and the constrained governments to consider them liberal democracies. Our World in Data.
The world has recently become less democratic in part because voters have elected leaders who refused to give up power.
I suggest that voters should reject candidates who are likely to retain power indefinitely and only support candidates who agree, in advance, to accept the election results. Otherwise, they are voting against democracy and for dictatorship.
In the United States, in 2016, voters elected Donald J. Trump as President. Trump refused to give up power when he lost the 2020 election and caused a failed insurrection attempt on 6 January 2023. He is running for President again in 2024 and top Republicans, led by Trump, already refuse to commit to accepting the 2024 election results. Trump’s reelection would likely lead to a Trump dictatorship with his continuation in power until death or a coup. This would happen because, upon reflection, few Americans would be willing to challenge Trump when he breaks the law. Amazingly, he has widespread support and even many who oppose him do not appear to be too concerned about this potential loss of democracy.
In Russia, Vladimir Putin was elected President from 2000 to 2008 and he has served continuously since 2012, becoming the longest serving Russian or Soviet leader since Stalin. Since the Russians elected Putin in 2012, he has transformed the Russian political system into an authoritarian dictatorship marked by imprisonment and suppression of political opponents, intimidation and censorship of independent media in Russia, and the end of free and fair elections. This is what dictators do and what we can expect to happen in the United States if Trump is reelected.
In Gaza, Hamas was elected as the government of the Palestinians in 2006. Since that time, no new elections have been held - the 2006 election ended democracy for Palestinians in Gaza. In addition, “Hamas also represses the Gazan media, civilian activism on social media, the political opposition, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), leaving it without mechanisms for accountability.” (Council on Foreign Relations). Amazingly, there is minimal Palestinian protest against this authoritarian rule by Hamas, even by Palestinians outside Gaza. If Trump is reelected, we can expect that Trump, other Republicans and Trump’s violent supporters, such as the Proud Boys, will similarly repress the media and political opposition.
Those of us fortunately to vote in free and fair elections must vote to preserve democracy by rejecting candidates who do not commit today to accepting election results. This should be our question for every political candidate, “Do you commit to accepting the election results, whether you win or lose?”
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