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Editors note: This column is from one of the participants in the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs, which is being held virtually this year. It runs from Tuesday through Friday. For details, go to worldaffairsconference.org.

Journalists, academics and experts have explored whether the Trump presidency heralds the end of democracy in the United States. Even with Donald Trumps defeat, some fret about the growing authoritarian forces within the Republican Party. Did the 2020 election mark the beginning of the end for democracy in America?

Americans often view their country as exceptional; perhaps in some ways it is. Greek-Americans, who most Americans now consider white, can embrace Giannis Antetokounmpo, a Black Greek sports star as authentically Greek even if some whites in Greece cannot fathom how a Black man born in Greece can be Greek. For many Americans, birthright citizenship and the image of an immigrant nation are powerful concepts, even when they overlook the long American history of genocide, forced migration and slave labor that built the nation.

The United States is the worlds oldest constitutional democracy; but others such as Iceland have much older legislatures. Our democracy has an enormous electorate but not as large as Indias. And more voters stumped for the winner of Brazils 2002 election than voted for Al Gore two years earlier. The U.S. government permitted women to vote a century ago, but New Zealand passed womens suffrage three decades earlier. Black citizens gained the full right to vote in the United States 56 years ago. Haiti granted Black slaves the right to vote shortly after the U.S. Constitution counted Black slaves as three-fifths of a human being.

Election Day 2020 was a huge success for democracy in America. The outcome was not decided beforehand, and partisans in both camps believed they could win. Voter turnout was the highest in over a century. The ruling Republican Party did not jail opposition candidates, break up opposition party rallies or send vigilantes to terrorize voters.

Vote counting, a local affair conducted by thousands of bipartisan volunteers and not by an election tribunal selected by the president, unfolded largely as expected. The ruling party did not use the courts or the internal security apparatus (what Americans know as police, the National Guard and Homeland Securitys alphabet soup) to shut down opposition media outlets. And journalists reported without harassment from ruling party thugs.

If election day was a success for democracy, the 2020 election season was less so. The apparent anomalies were the ruling Republican Party disinformation campaign, abetted by partisan media, to delegitimize the election (the Big Lie) and the violent insurrection by ruling party thugs to interrupt the peaceful transfer of power. However, disinformation campaigns and ruling party violence are not foreign to the United States. The Democratic Party ruled the South as a virtual dictatorship for nearly a century while Jim Crow police and white terrorist groups waged war against Black voters. The Redemption myth and de-humanizing anti-Black ideology neither of which is exclusive to the South are centuries-long disinformation campaigns. And one party, this time Republican, has campaigned on fear and disinformation rather than policy platforms for decades.

However, many in the ruling Republican Party sided with democracy in 2020. Ruling party officials counted votes fairly in opposition strongholds such as Atlanta, even if the same scrutiny was absent in rural ruling party strongholds. Numerous elected officials from the ruling party resisted the presidents attempt to alter, perhaps rig, the vote count. Further, the Big Lie was so preposterous that ruling party judges in the courts repeatedly rejected it.

Some long-term trends that work against democracy in the United States are also moving in the right direction: Fewer men from historically powerless ethnic minority groups are in prison today than two decades ago. And the legislature is more representative than ever. De facto poll taxes may be on their way out too.

Will democracy survive? The party that cannot currently win a plurality will continue to suppress votes. But so too will mobilization against these efforts. Media with a national audience such as ABC News, Fox News, New York Times and Wall Street Journal are likely to survive intact, free to criticize the government. Ruling parties are unlikely to buy votes by handing out gift cards; opposition legislators will investigate corruption; and the military will stay in the barracks. Some votes will still count more than others. And, whichever party holds the presidency, elected leaders will step down peacefully without fear of assassination or exile once they leave office.

And lest anyone is still concerned about the survival of our democracy, do not worry: both parties will continue to use the power of the government to redistribute economic gains to the rich. And so long as democracy protects the rich, it will survive.

Joseph Wright is the co-author of How Dictatorships Work.

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Did democracy survive the Trump presidency? | Column - Tampa Bay Times

In his speech to our European allies on Friday, President Joe Biden bluntly stated that we are "at an inflection point" between those who believe "autocracy is the best way forward" and those who think democracy is. While making it clear that we have to "defend" and "strengthen" democracy, he affirmed, "I believe that every ounce of my being that democracy will and must prevail."

That Trump incited the attacks is the very crux of fascism.

Think about those words for a moment. The president of the United States is acknowledging that our nation along with other Western democracies is under threat by undemocratic forces that could win the day if we dont defend our democracy.

While Biden didnt mention former President Donald Trump by name, his role in the attacks on our democracy and incitement of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot almost certainly come to mind for anyone listening. That Trump incited the attack is the very crux of fascism, which, as I wrote for MSNBC in January, employs undemocratic methods, especially violence, to acquire and retain power.

Its time Democratic members of Congress make a point to not normalize the GOPs growing embrace of fascism. They can start by vocally committing to not work with any Republicans in Congress who played a role in furthering the lies that led to the attack as well as those who refused to hold Trump accountable for inciting the insurrection.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., hinted at such an approach when she responded to a public offer by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas who had objected on Jan. 6 to the certification of Bidens victory to work together. In response, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where theres common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out," adding, "Happy to work w/ almost any other GOP that arent trying to get me killed.

This tactic would not be necessary if the GOP had, en masse, publicly condemned Trumps incitement of a mob designed to stop the steal and keep Trump in power. But what weve seen with a few exceptions is the opposite. Overwhelmingly, GOP officials and rank-and-file members have sided with Trump and rejected efforts to hold him accountable.

Despite all this talk about a GOP civil war, the numbers tell a different story.

Despite all this talk about a GOP civil war, the numbers tell a different story. How many of the 261 Republicans in Congress 211 in the House and 50 in the Senate voted to hold Trump accountable for his role in the attack? Only 17: There were 10 in the House who voted to impeach and seven in the Senate who supported conviction. That means more than 90 percent of the GOP members of Congress refused to hold Trump accountable for an attack that 71 percent of Americans believe he was at least partially responsible for, according to a recent Ipsos poll for Reuters.

Trumps support among rank-and-file Republicans tells the same story. First, the handful of Republicans who voted to penalize Trump for his role in the Capitol riot have suffered swift backlash from their fellow party members, from being censured by their home states Republican Party on Monday, the North Carolina Republican Party unanimously approved a resolution to censure Sen. Richard Burr because he voted to convict Trump in the Senate trial to being threatened with primary challenges.

This shouldnt be surprising given that the GOP base overwhelmingly still supports Trump. In fact, his favorability rating among Republicans has risen since Jan. 6. While 34 percent of all Americans had a favorable view of Trump in a recent Politico/Morning Consult poll, a whopping 81 percent of Republicans gave the former president positive marks. Even more alarming is that Trumps approval rose from 77 percent on Jan. 7 to 81 percent, despite an impeachment trial that laid out a mountain of evidence against him.

Trumps approval rose from 77 percent on Jan. 7 to 81 percent, despite an impeachment trial that laid out a mountain of evidence against him.

Distressingly, this tracks with the GOPs history, which indicates that in time the rank-and-file members are likely to become more right wing, not less. On the issue of abortion, for example, for decades the GOP allowed three exceptions: incest, rape and to save the life of the mother. Over time, though, members of the party have moved further to the right and increasingly only support abortion when the life of the mother is at risk.

Its time the Democratic leaders, in one voice, from Biden through to every member of Congress, make it clear that what the GOP is doing is embracing fascism. They must not be timid in using the word "fascism," and they must define it for the public so its a meaningful warning.

But beyond words, Democrats should stop any and all steps that normalize or whitewash the Jan. 6 attack by publicly refusing to work with Republicans who played a role in it or refused to hold Trump accountable. Big-name donors can withhold donations to those Republicans by making it clear that any contribution will be seen as them validating the GOPs attacks on our democracy. (Indeed, some corporations have already announced they will withhold future donations to Republicans who voted against certifying Bidens victory.)

This is not a fight over a partisan issue. And it certainly cant be classified as a civil war within a party. This is a battle to preserve our democracy, as Biden noted. Its time the Democratic members of Congress lead that fight.

CORRECTION (Feb. 20, 2021, 3:12 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated Trump's approval rating among Republicans on Jan. 7, according to a Morning Consult poll. It was 77 percent then, not 74 percent.

Dean Obeidallah, a lawyer, hosts "The Dean Obeidallah Show" on SiriusXM radio's Progress channel. He has written for The Daily Beast, CNN.com and other publicationsand is a co-creator of the annual New York Arab-American Comedy Festival.

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Biden says the world needs to defend democracy. That starts at home. - MSNBC

Amber Levendoski (center) is a Voice of Democracy essay winner who represented VFW Post 10532 in Coon Creek and Chaseburg. She placed first at the district competition and eighth at state competition. Also pictured are Wisconsin State Jr. Vice Commander Michele Rathke (left) and Wisconsin VFW District 11 Commander Gerald Parchem.

Amber Levendoski12th-grader, WAHS

Local winners have been announced in the 2020 VFW Voice of Democracy Contest sponsored by Westby Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8021. The theme of this years competition was Is this the country our Founding Fathers envisioned? The contest was open to all students in grades 9 through 12 including home-schooled students.

This is a national contest, where the national winner receives a $30,000 college scholarship. There is a total of $153,000 in college scholarships awarded annually to state and national winners. Over 190 Westby High School students entered the contest.

Amber Levendoski, a 12th-grader, is the daughter of Marlin and Kitty Levendoski of Westby. She represented VFW Post 10532 in Coon Creek and Chaseburg. She placed first at the district competition and eighth at state. She won $100 at district. Amber has enlisted in the Wisconsin Air National Guard. After graduation in May, she will attend USAF training this summer and will attend the University of Wisconsin-River Falls next year.

Is this the country our Founding Fathers envisioned?

America, the beautiful and powerful, is far from the country our founding fathers envisioned. Many wonderful, life-improving inventions have been mass-produced since the countrys birth. Running water exists in most every house. Airplanes fly overhead daily, carrying civilians. The medical advancements today have raised the average life expectancy 30 years, compared to three centuries ago. Yet, beneath the wealth and success the world has associated with North America lies the modern cousins of an unjust past. Hatred and greed wove bad laws that locked away human rights. Despite the social routine of the time the amendments were written, we have given women equal rights, abolished slavery, and accepted the new tools and skills which immigrants have brought in with them. No longer are people unexpectedly drafted into the military outside of wartime. Now we live in a democracy.

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Voice of Democracy: Is this the country our Founding Fathers envisioned? by Amber Levendoski - The Westby Times

New Delhi: Retired Supreme Court judge Deepak Gupta on Friday condemned the use of sedition laws to curb dissent, saying no party is immune to criticism.

He was speaking at a webinar on Our Right to Dissent that was conducted by the Delhi High Court Women Lawyers Forum in association with digital legal news portal LiveLaw. Justice Gupta, senior advocate Rebecca John and advocate Chitranshul Sinha were the keynote speakers in conversation with advocates Ritu Bhalla and Manali Singhal. Advocates Arundhati Katju and Swaty Singh Malik were also part of the press conference.

Justice Gupta said that the experiences of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Mahatma Gandhi, who faced sedition cases during the British Raj, would have ensured that the law of sedition would not exist in independent India.

Also Read: How Bal Gangadhar Tilaks 1897 Trial Marked the Criminalisation of Dissent

Disaffection is such a broad term that anything could amount to sedition. Our democracy gives us the right to freedom of speech and expression. Right to dissent is a hallmark of democracy. Even if one party comes into power, it is not immune to criticism and right to dissent allows such criticism, he said.

He continued, Look at the conviction rate, it is so low. Ones reputation is destroyed even if one is not convicted. There can be no progress if we stifle dissent. In the last 9-10 years, we have lost our sense of humour. Even today, Im scared to share or crack a joke even with someone close to me because they might find it offensive.

He further said that people should get together instead of getting divided. In response to whether the Supreme Court should take up cognisance of stifling of right to dissent and not be a mute spectator, Justice Gupta said that suo moto cannot be taken up in every case. The Supreme Court cannot take up suo moto in every case. But, I do believe that high courts should take up the cause. They are entitled to do so. Manali Singhal now refers to how her daughter Shreya Singhal was of the same age as Disha Ravi when she had challenged Section 66A of the IT Act and that any dissent against the government is seen as anti-national now, he said.

Justice Gupta warned against tarnishing the image of the entire judiciary. He said, You do more harm to this movement by tarnishing the entire judiciary because of some aberrations. There are good judgments coming and there are bad judgments coming. It has always happened.

Justice Deepak Gupta. Photo: Wikipedia

Jail is rule, bail is exception

Senior advocate Rebecca John said that currently, the legal doctrine of bail is rule, jail is exception has been reversed. Talking about the provision of bail under UAPA, she said that Section 43D(5) of the UAPA makes getting bail a virtual impossibility, and how the exceptions in such cases have become the norm. Why is bail treated as the be-all and end-all of criminal law? I would say everybody is entitled to bail, she added.

She also said that after FIRs were filed against journalists in connection with the death of a farmer during the Republic Day tractor parade,many journalists have become wary of putting out stories or tweets.

John said, As a lawyer what Im doing is looking at articles written by journalists because now they seek opinion before they publish them just in case they are not violating any laws. I have senior journalists send me their tweets before they put it out. What kind of regime is this? Surely we have thicker skin than this and can look at criticism, even the most extreme kind, a bit more constructively, she said, adding that people are being punished by laws such as the UAPA for their dissent.

On the arrest of Ravi, she said that there are lacunae in the legality of procedures that went into her remand and police custody. She said, I dont understand, when she had her lawyer of choice, why was he not brought in. There was no transit remand order also taken. The Delhi high court order of 2019 categorically states that transit remand order is required, unless exigencies exist.

Priya Ramani with senior advocate Rebecca John. Photo: Twitter/@AnooBhu

Agreeing with Justice Gupta, she said, He rightly said that remand is a judicial function. Its the first important function a magistrate performs when it comes to a criminal case. There is a lack of application of mind which happens at this stage. I cannot emphasise enough the need for magistrates to carefully look into FIRs, case diaries and high court rules and orders to see whether remand is needed or not. Why is it that intrinsically these judicial functions are treated casually?

She added, This is happening in Delhi and not in some obscure corner in India that the magistrate doesnt realise that these are bailable offences. She added that personal liberty is intrinsically linked with procedural law and if one does not follow the procedural law, there will be a great breach of liberty and right of that individual to a fair trial.

Also read: Right to Protest Cannot Be Anytime and Everywhere: SC on Shaheen Bagh Protests

Advocate Chitranshul Sinha said that the Kedar Nath Singh judgment is not being followed by the police. Giving the example of Uttar Pradesh, when some Kashmiri students who apparently supported the Pakistan cricket team were booked under sedition, he said, Sedition is an offence against the state. But, you see individuals coming forward claiming that the State is feeling threatened because of the acts of some people. Whatever anyone might say, our democracy is not that brittle. The right to dissent is the most important one, and there is no democracy without it. Dissent is in fact a duty.

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'Right to Dissent Is Hallmark of Democracy, Allows Criticism of Govt': Retired SC Judge - The Wire

President Joe Biden will "take a virtual trip to Europe" with a pair of high-profile engagements aimed at restoring the United States' place on the global stage, after what he views as its absence during President Donald Trump's years in office, according to a senior Biden administration official.

In his remarks to an international security conference and to the leaders of the world's major industrialized nations on Friday, Biden planned to make a case for multilateralism, the official said -- in stark contrast to Trump's nationalist approach to the world, which the former president termed "America First."

And in a nod to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol and the policies of the president's predecessor, Biden would "acknowledge that democracy is under stress, democratic institutions are under stress, under challenge in the United States" as they are elsewhere, the official told reporters Thursday evening.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken listens as President Joe Biden delivers remarks to State Department staff, Feb. 4, 2021, in Washington.

"We have learned actually over the course of the past four years, that democracy, as he will put it, doesn't happen by accident -- that we have to work at it, that we need to fight for it," the official said.

But, the official added, "the focus of his speech tomorrow is not Donald Trump or what's happened over the last four years."

Speaking first to a virtual meeting of the leaders of the Group of Seven nations, Biden will commit to addressing three "immediate" global crises, according to the official: the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic crisis and climate change.

Later Friday morning, he plans to argue via video teleconference to attendees of the annual Munich Security Conference "that democracy is the model that can best meet the challenges of our time," the official said.

"He will get the opportunity as president of the United States, early in his term, to declare that America is back and the transatlantic alliance is back," the official said.

A health worker holds a dose during a vaccination drill before the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine at Patio Bonito Tintal hospital on Jan. 26, 2021, in Bogota, Colombia.

Part of that recommitment to the world will include an announcement that the U.S. will donate $4 billion to a global initiative to distribute vaccine doses to poor countries, the White House said Thursday. That money had been allocated by Congress in December but had not yet been donated.

Rolling back Trump's nationalist policies has already become a hallmark of Biden's short time at the White House. And on Friday he plans to make clear his markedly different approach to Russia, China and Iran, the official told reporters.

After Trump approached Russia gingerly, Biden "will specifically talk to what he believes is a concerted effort by the Kremlin to to carry out a strategy to discredit, undermine and destabilize democracies," the official said.

And while Trump launched a combative, bilateral trade war with China, Biden will pursue a multilateral approach to trying to put an end to China's "non-market-oriented policies and practices," according to the official.

On Thursday, the State Department said it was open to talks with Iran about its nuclear program and the official said Biden planned to echo that message Friday.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization attends a news conference on the outbreak of coronavirus disease in Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 12, 2021.

"We are keen to sit down and hear what the Iranians have to say," the official said. "We want to come up with a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear program. And let's get to work."

Biden also planned to "touch on Afghanistan," as he faces questions about whether he will abide by an agreement with the Taliban and withdraw U.S. troops in the coming months, according to the official, who did not provide more details of what the president would say.

Biden's remarks will build upon his actions in office so far.

He has returned the United States to international agreements and organizations his predecessor left -- including the World Health Organization and the Paris climate accord, which the U.S. will officially become a party to again on Friday after Trump had pulled it out.

As a candidate, Biden promised to return the U.S. to its position "at the head of the table," restoring it as a world leader on issues ranging from climate change to transnational terrorism. He argued that Trump had ceded that role to other nations during his four years in office.

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Biden to 'acknowledge' democracy 'under stress' in US, as he tries to restore place on global stage: Official - ABC News