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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has ordered his department to redefine its mission and issue a new statement of purpose to the world. The draft statements under review right now are similar to the old mission statement, except for one thing any mention of promoting democracy is being eliminated.

According to an internal email that went out Friday, which I obtained, the State Departments Executive Steering Committee convened a meeting of leaders to draft new statements on the departments purpose, mission and ambition, as part of the overall reorganization of the State Department and USAID. (The draft statements were being circulated for comment Friday and could change before being finalized.)

The State Departments draft statement on its purpose is: We promote the security, prosperity and interests of the American people globally.

The State Departments draft statement on its mission is: Lead Americas foreign policy through global advocacy, action and assistance to shape a safer, more prosperous world.

The State Departments draft statement on its ambition is: The American people thrive in a peaceful and interconnected world that is free, resilient and prosperous.

Compare that to the State Department Mission Statement that is currently on the books, as laid out in the departments fiscal year 2016 financial report:

The Departments mission is to shape and sustain a peaceful, prosperous, just, and democratic world and foster conditions for stability and progress for the benefit of the American people and people everywhere. This mission is shared with the USAID, ensuring we have a common path forward in partnership as we invest in the shared security and prosperity that will ultimately better prepare us for the challenges of tomorrow.

Former senior State Department officials from both parties told me that eliminating just and democratic from the State Departments list of desired outcomes is neither accidental nor inconsequential.

The only significant difference is the deletion of justice and democracy, said Elliott Abrams, who served as deputy national security adviser for global democracy strategy during the George W. Bush administration. We used to want a just and democratic word, and now apparently we dont.

The mission statement is important because it sends a signal about American priorities and intentions to foreign governments and people around the world, said Abrams, who was considered by Tillerson for the job of deputy secretary of state but rejected by President Trump.

That change is a serious mistake that ought to be corrected, he said. If not, the message being sent will be a great comfort to every dictator in the world.

Tom Malinowski, who served as assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor for the Obama administration, said the new proposed mission statement brings U.S. foreign policy into closer alignment with that of some of Americas chief adversaries, including Russia.

Its a worldview similar to that of Putin, who also thinks that great powers should focus exclusively on self protection and enrichment, rather than promoting democracy, he said. By removing all reference to universal values and the common good it removes any reason for people outside the United States to support our foreign policy. That said, I appreciate the honesty with which Tillerson projects his cynicism.

Malinowski also predicted that the change, if it becomes permanent, would sow confusion throughout the ranks of the State Departments civil and foreign service because hundreds of State Department officials work on congressionally funded programs every day that are meant to promote democracy and justice abroad.

Adding to the confusion, Trump occasionally trumpets democracy promotion, for example when it comes to Cuba or Venezuela. But in his inauguration speech, Trump made clear that democracy promotion would not be a feature of his foreign policy.

We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow, Trump said.

The changes in the State Department mission statement may not seem very significant viewed in isolation. But Tillerson has made several statements and decisions that indicate he plans to lower the priority of democracy and human rights in U.S. foreign policy.

In his first speech to his State Department employees, he said promoting American values creates obstacles to pursuing Americas national security interests. In March, he broke tradition by declining to appear personally to unveil the State Departments annual human rights report.

In another example, the State Department will soon eliminate thehumanrights.gov website and move its content to an alternative web address, state.gov/j/drl, a State Department official told me.

Its just so gratuitous. What efficiency is achieved or money is saved by taking something that is prominent on the internet and hiding it? said Malinowski. The consequence is that its the 9,456th signal sent by the administration that they dont care about promoting American values.

The State Department declined to comment.

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Washington Post: Justice and democracy on the ropes - Concord Monitor

A voter in Montpelier, Vt., cast a ballot for the Republican presidential primary in 2012.

Voting on Election Day usually entails some pre-planning, with registration required several days, if not weeks, ahead of time in most places.

But now, following a court decision last week, Massachusetts is under pressure to join more than a dozen other states including Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont in allowing residents to register or reregister on Election day, and vote moments later.

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While the states top election official is raising concerns about costs, research shows that allowing same-day, or election-day, registration can bolster democracy by motivating voters to go to the polls.

While most other election reforms show pretty mixed effects, Election Day registration ... has produced a wide consensus that in pretty much every study you find positive and increased voter turnout, said Professor Barry C. Burden, director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, whose office oversees elections, said he is not opposed to the idea. But he said the state is appealing the Suffolk Superior Court ruling because election officials would need extra funding to deploy additional equipment and staffing for Election Day, or else there would be chaos.

Can it be done? Is it something we should do? Yes, he said. But its something we have to make sure we do right.

Officials from several states that have same-day registration said that while there have been logistical issues to iron out, they and the voters in their respective states have been generally happy with the policy.

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For us its been great, said Denise Merrill, secretary of the state in Connecticut, which adopted same-day registration in 2013 and saw nearly 35,000 people take advantage of it this past November. Its enabled thousands of people to vote who would not have otherwise.

Same-day registration has been done for decades in other states without the need for any special technology. And officials in some states, including Vermont and Connecticut, said they rolled it out without any significant boost in funding.

Before casting ballots on Election Day, voters must prove their identity and residency in person, said Wendy Underhill, program director of elections and redistricting for the National Conference of State Legislatures. Specific requirements vary, but can include showing a drivers license, ID card, paycheck, utility bill, or other documentation.

In some states, those who want to register on Election Day must do so at a certain location, such as a city or town hall. Typically, residents can then vote in that same location.

Election officials have also taken steps to discourage fraud, such as sending a mailing to same-day registrants to verify their identity and residence, or updating the statewide voter database to ensure no one casts multiple votes.

At some polling locations, election officials use what are known as electronic poll books, which connect to the states database of voters and can verify in real time that the person isnt already registered and hasnt already voted in another part of the state.

Nationwide, voter fraud is believed to be exceedingly rare. Experts say theres nothing to indicate that states with same-day registration see any uptick in fraud. Some argue the same-day registration process is more secure because verification is done in person by trained poll workers, rather than registering by mail or online.

President Trump in February alleged that thousands of Massachusetts residents were bused to New Hampshire and voted illegally (and against him) by taking advantage of the neighboring states same-day registration policy. No evidence was ever presented to back up the claim, and numerous officials have disputed it.

The potential benefits of the policy are clear, experts say.

A US Government Accountability Office report last year said that a majority of studies on same-day registration showed it improves voter turnout by a statistically significant amount, from about 2 to 10 percentage points.

The Massachusetts ruling came in a lawsuit filed last year by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, the Chelsea Collaborative, a social services nonprofit, and MassVOTE, a nonprofit that registers people to vote.

If the state were to adopt same-day voting, Galvin would want a system in which election officials could use special computers that are connected, he said, (though not via the Internet) to the state voter database. That would allow registrants to be cross-checked in real time, and no one could accuse the state of compromising voting integrity, he said.

Getting that technology in place statewide would cost millions of dollars, he said.

Polling locations, unless they are located inside a city or town hall, do not have the technology and equipment in place now, Galvin said. Every city and town hall in the state does have the capability,but Galvin said those places would still need additional money for staffing and training to prevent long lines, confusion, and errors.

Connecticut avoided extra costs by offering same-day registration only in buildings where the technology already exists. Other states simply do not use the technology at most, if not all, polling locations.

Massachusetts lawmakers, who for years have considered adopting same-day registration, are now considering several bills that would allow for the policy. State Senator Anne Gobi, cochair of the Joint Committee on Election Laws, said they are likely to get more attention this year in light of the court case.

I think this issue is really coming to the forefront now, said Gobi, a Democrat from Spencer. Im very much in favor of anything we can do to get people more engaged in our government. If it requires more funding, obviously thats what we need to do.

Election administrators and some experts said same-day registration could actually reduce costs because it could slash the number of provisional ballots used when questions about a voters eligibility arise. In states with the policy, voters can typically address any issues on the spot, while those without it must commit resources to investigate after an election.

Same-day registration could also help election officials have cleaner, more accurate voter rolls, improving efficiency by keeping names and addresses up-to-date.

And while there are startup costs to using electronic poll books, over time they can decrease the cost of printing paper ones.

Wisconsin officials said theyve had same-day registration since 1975. The issue shouldnt be about money, said Neil V. Albrecht, executive director of the City of Milwaukee Election Commission. (Both Albrecht and Burden, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, were called by the ACLU to testify, and did so, in the Massachusetts case.)

Elections should be about access and making sure everyone had an opportunity to cast a ballot. If theres somewhere youre going to earmark dollars, this is the place to do it Albrecht said. Voting is the foundation of democracy. Its hard to put a price tag on democracy.

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States with Election Day registration see bonus for democracy - The Boston Globe

This week, Vice President Mike Pence is visiting Montenegro. His historic visit signals a new chapter not only in bilateral relations, but also strengthen the overall trans-Atlantic alliance.

Most importantly, the visit will celebrate just how far the Montenegrin economy has come due in large part to quiet American leadership and a growing Montenegrin commitment to Western values.

When 97 senators voted on March 28 to add Montenegro to NATO, a clear message was sent across the Atlantic. Senators made clear to this young multiparty parliamentary democracy, no bigger than a congressional district, that its years of painstaking judicial, economic, and military reforms were worth it.

NATO is a military alliance. Much has been written about the Montenegrin military and the overall future of NATO. Sen. Marco Rubio alluded to the forgotten benefit of NATO enlargement in a floor speech before the vote, saying the "alliance helps advance our economic interests." The vote, CODELs beforehand and, most certainly the VP's trip all advance American economic interests.

Indeed, the Preamble of the NATO Treaty articulates that the alliance was "founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law." Furthermore, Article 2 makes clear that members "will seek to eliminate conflict in their international economic policies and will encourage economic collaboration." These NATO precepts are American values and have helped transform the American economy following World War II.

According to the Heritage Foundation's 2017 Index of Economic Freedom, Montenegro ranks significantly ahead of its neighbors, Croatia and Serbia. Indeed, the journey to NATO has fostered a commitment to free market and capitalist economic principles. In just 11 years of independence and only 25 years after the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia, Montenegrin officials have discovered the ingredients to a dynamic economy. These are a robust private sector engaged in international trade with a defined, but not burdensome, regulatory and legal framework. This is what Pence has championed throughout his entire career. The vice president will find a country that appreciates the importance of a strong private sector economy.

Visitors from Washington matter. In November 2014, perhaps not coincidentally one month after the visit of Sen. Chris Murphy, the Montenegrin Parliament passed legislation to reform the judicial sector, including the establishment of a special prosecutor's office for organized crime and an anti-corruption agency.

Currently, the Montenegrin government has welcomed investors from 107 different countries. The high point of foreign direct investment, 2009, included over $1.2 billion of capital coming into this country of less than 650,000 residents. Last year, Norway remained the largest investor in private sector projects with $189M. American companies invested $5.6M in the economy in 2016.

Surely, Pence's trip will prompt additional American investment and tourist visits.

The words of Prime Minister Dusko Markovic during his June visit to Washington ring true in the days leading up to the vice president's trip, "This is a small day for the United States and its allies, but a great day for Montenegro." It was American leadership which ended two ethnic wars in the region. It will be continued American government leadership and fostering of American values which will continue this positive momentum.

In 1979, my family fled the brutality of Soviet Communism to celebrate our Jewish faith and embrace the freedoms of America. America has only grown stronger since the height of the Cold War by embracing the freedoms articulated by our Founding Fathers and the principles outlined by NATO.

So too, can Montenegro grow stronger, as it aligns with America and shuns a past defined by despotism and government bureaucracy.

Neil Emilfarb, a native of West Hartford, Connecticut, has lived and worked in Montenegro since 2006. He is CEO of Stratex Group which has developed and managed properties throughout Montenegro.

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America is helping Montenegro's democracy mature - Washington Examiner

On Tuesday, my colleagueJosh Rogins reportthat the State Department was considering excising democratic and just (as in a just society) from its mission and purpose statements induced abacklash in foreign policy circles. The State Departments faulty reasoning was revealed before the day was out by both Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and President Trump.

In a rare appearance in the State Department briefing room, perhaps a sign that the rotten press he and his department had been receiving was starting to sting, Tillerson addressed a range of issues, including Venezuela, where two prominent opponents of the regime were seized by security forces in the wake of an election (boycotted by the opposition) to elect an all-powerful Constituent Assembly that moves the country further down the road of totalitarianism. (TheConstituent Assemblywill have the power to rewrite the Venezuelan Constitution, which [Venezuelan President Nicols] Maduro desires, and is expected to replace the previous legislative body, where the opposition has a majority.The new body will establish a truth commission to prosecute political opponents.)Tillerson told reporters:

Clearly, what we want to see is for Venezuela to return to its constitution, return to its scheduled elections, and allow the people of Venezuela to have the voice in their government they deserve.

We are very, very troubled by what were seeing unfold following the constituent assembly vote, which went about as we expected, but the re-arrest of opposition leaders last night is very alarming. This could lead to an outbreak of further violence in the country. The situation, from a humanitarian standpoint, is already becoming dire. We are evaluating all our policy options as to what can we do to create a change of conditions where either Maduro decides he doesnt have a future and wants to leave of his own accord or we can return the government processes back to their constitution. But we are quite concerned about were seeing down there. It is a policy discussion thats currently under development through the interagency process this week.

In other words,democracymatters greatly to us and has consequences for the region. If the State Departments mission no longer extends to defending democracy, why bother even addressing it, let alone taking action against Maduros thuggishness? Even the White House joined in condemning Maduro. The United States condemns the actions of the Maduro dictatorship, Trump said in a written statement. Mr. [Leopoldo] Lopez and Mr. [Antonio] Ledezma are political prisoners being held illegally by the regime. The statement continued, The United States holds Maduro - who publicly announced just hours earlier that he would move against his political opposition - personally responsible for the health and safety of Mr. Lopez, Mr. Ledezma, and any others seized. While the statement avoided the term democracy, the evisceration of democratic protections and the unjust(theres that word again) actions of an authoritarian regime remain a concern of the United States precisely because it is in our national interest to maintain a peaceful and free hemisphere.

In reacting to the decision to remove democracy promotion from the State Departments mission Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) told me on Tuesday, Everything we do to foster democracy in emerging states is an investment in national security. He explained, Democracies make better partners for peace and prosperity. Renouncing our commitment to work for the values we hold dear would be a dangerous abdication of U.S. leadership, making our world less safe by destabilizing global security. From the Arab Spring to Venezuela and Washington, we cant forget the fight for democracy requires more than a Twitter account and the adoption of a few budgetary changes. Menendez, in reaction to the State Departments refusal to fill numerous senior spots and rumors of a reorganization that will eliminate many programs and positions that support human rights, introduced legislation to thwart the realpolitik crowd. He told me that last week I passed an amendment to the funding authorization bill before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to codify and mandate the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, whose responsibility it is to support democracy and human rights as a critical component of the State Departments work. He vowed, I will fight tooth and nail so the U.S. government doesnt walk away from our responsibility to conduct foreign policy in a responsible way that doesnt cripple our global standing and directly harms our national security interests.

Candidly, the administrations foreign policy objectives remain murky and incoherent. If the State Department doesnt know what it stands for, how does it expect adversaries and friends around the world to know where the United States stands?

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Venezuela shows why the US cannot downgrade democracy - Washington Post

In some ways, the United States seems far from such a situation today. The Trump administration, after all, appears weak: It is relatively unpopular, mired in scandal and divided by infighting Anthony Scaramuccis 10-day tenure is just the latest example. And it faces determined opposition from courts, the news media, state and local governments and ordinary citizens. If Mr. Trumps presidency ends in humiliation, future generations may well conclude that it was bound to fail all along.

But in other respects the United States is already well on the way to what I have, in my academic work, called democratic deconsolidation. Mr. Trump is increasingly emulating the playbook of popularly elected strongmen who have done deep, lasting damage to their countries democratic institutions.

In recent weeks, he has treated a gathering of Boy Scouts like a campaign rally. He has asked soldiers for political support at a ceremonial event. He has implied that policemen should rough up suspects they arrest. He has continued to feud with the countrys intelligence community. And he has suggested he still wants Hillary Clinton prosecuted.

Mr. Trump nonetheless has many supporters. While a majority of Americans believes that the president is doing a bad job, around 40 percent of voters and some 80 percent of Republicans approve of his performance. A number of Republican senators and congressmen have reportedly objected to Mr. Trumps attacks on Mr. Sessions and voted against parts of his legislative agenda, but most have yet to oppose him publicly.

This is worrying. The Constitution cannot defend itself. If Congress does not stand up to Mr. Trump because Republicans are afraid of their own base, the president may be able to obstruct the course of justice with impunity. Worse, he may then conclude that he can get away with violating even more basic limits on his power.

If Congress stands idly by as he fires Mr. Mueller, as it did when he fired the F.B.I. director, James Comey, it might prove similarly pliable should he disregard court rulings, attempt to close down critical newspapers or order his appointees at the Department of Justice to indict Mrs. Clinton.

Congress must send a clear message that these types of violations wont be tolerated. If Mr. Trump fires Mr. Mueller, Congress can ask him to continue his investigation under the auspices of the legislative branch. And if Mr. Trump pardons himself, disregards court rulings or blatantly oversteps the boundaries of his legitimate authority in some other way, Congress should impeach him.

No flashing light will announce that the very survival of democracy is now at stake if Mr. Mueller is fired. And since nobody can say for sure that the Constitution will become toothless if congressional Republicans let yet another infraction pass, their instinct will be to defer their patriotic duty to some more opportune moment in the future. But that moment may never come. There may never be a time when we know for sure that this decision, today, will determine whether the American republic lives or dies.

In Hungary, democracy did not end when Mr. Orban staffed the electoral commission with his cronies, or when he put loyalists in charge of state television stations or even when he changed the Constitution to expand his powers. But now that he has taken all these steps, the opposition has little chance of ousting him at the next elections. Slowly but surely, Hungary has ceased to be a real democracy.

The temptation to delay opposing Mr. Trump until the right moment comes along is understandable. Its also very dangerous. Even if congressional Republicans abdicate their duty, the Constitution may turn out to be unusually resilient. But the only sure way to save the Republic is for them to start standing up to the presidents authoritarian behavior not next week, or next month, but today.

Yascha Mounk, a lecturer at Harvard, a columnist for Slate and the host of the podcast The Good Fight, is the author of the forthcoming The People Versus Democracy.

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A version of this op-ed appears in print on August 1, 2017, on Page A23 of the New York edition with the headline: Trump Is Destroying Our Democracy.

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The Past Week Proves That Trump Is Destroying Our Democracy - New York Times