Strongmen are always looking out for number one: themselves. That’s why they create inner sanctums around themselves, surrounding themselves with family members who do not give them objective feedback. We should all be concerned when leaders surround themselves with only sycophants.

Catch up on last week's episode of #TheContext where @GalBeckerman, author of How to Be a Dissident, explores moral agency and the courage to act. The hardest moral choices can become the most meaningful moments of our lives: https://bit.ly/GetTheContext

What does it take to argue before the Supreme Court? KF Senior Fellow @@nealkatyal.bsky.social offers an inside look. https://bit.ly/4zb3Xa2

Neal Katyal, Tiffany Graham, Joan Biskupic, Noel Francisco, and Mark Joseph Stern w/ Thane Rosenbaum

Law of the Land: The Supreme Court Year in Review with Neal Katyal, Tiffany Graham, Joan Biskupic, Noel Francisco, Mark Joseph Stern and Thane Rosenbaum. Join us for a lively conversation about the 2025–2026 Supreme Court term — one of the most conseq...

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Today marks the completion of a summer of organizing outside the White House led by KF Senior Fellow William J. Barber II. As he reflects on the past 15 weeks, he emphasizes that the work is not done and outlines plans for the next 1,000 marches. https://bit.ly/4g6kjJn

Our Chance to Stop What's Coming

100 days, 1000 marches to reclaim the tools of our government in an authoritarian crisis

ourmoralmoment.substack.com

Get to know Lee Wade, the Dayton Democracy Fellow who is combining the power of democracy and journalism as a way of “making space for people to tell their own stories and making sure everybody has a seat at the table.” https://bit.ly/4btcRFH

Putin’s war against Ukraine isn’t just about gaining territory, it aims to obliterate Ukraine as a sovereign country and culture.

"What is Fascism?" The third lecture in my new online course, "Hitler and Stalin today" A guest lecture by @marcishore.bsky.social re.bsky.social Hosted by the Munk School @utoronto.ca Full lecture here: snyder.substack.com/p/what-is-fa...

KF Senior Fellow @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social explains why falling support for mass deportation could create new pressure on Congress to protect immigrant communities and hold ICE accountable. Read more: https://bit.ly/45zfeTP

Civil Disobedience Is Coming to Springfield

“No matter what it costs.”

thebulwark.com

KF Senior Fellow @davidfrenchjag.bsky.social examines how the evangelical church’s embrace of Trump has pushed many Americans, especially Gen Z, away from attending church: https://nyti.ms/3RJqg5y

Opinion | The Problem With Political Christianity

Does Gen Z feel welcome at church?

nyti.ms

Are unlimited super PAC contributions corrupting our elections? KF Senior Fellow @nealkatyal.bsky.social explains why Maine voters should have the power to set limits. https://bit.ly/4pN0SIH

Federal appeals court hears arguments over Maine limits on super PACs

The legal battle over Maine's contributions limits to so-called super PACs — political committees that make independent expenditures in elections — is viewed as a potential national test case. Support...

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KF Senior Fellow @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social speaks with political scientist Don Kettl about how changes to the civil service could reshape executive power and the day-to-day work of government. https://bit.ly/4yTqPuj

Trump and the Politicization of the Civil Service w/Don Kettl

The Trump administration and the politicization of the civil service.

conversationswithbillkristol.org

On the @liberalism.org Show, KF Senior Fellow David French is in conversation with Jamelle Bouie and Danielle Allen on the return of illiberalism and what it could mean for American democracy.

Rebuilding a Liberal Majority (with Jamelle Bouie, David French, and Danielle Allen)

<p>Institutions of bigotry, racism, and social control were supposed to be decades into retreat. Instead they have come roaring back from the top-down. In this special joint release of <i>The </i><a r...

liberalism.org

KF Senior Fellow @staceyabrams.com argues that democracy depends on trust—and that people participate when they believe government can deliver on its promises: https://bit.ly/4fsBwfS

Democracy Is a Transaction

Indian students were called cockroaches. Then they fired a cabinet minister.

staceyabrams.substack.com

KF Senior Fellow @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social speaks with Jonathan Swan about executive power, political leadership, and the influence of close advisers in shaping presidential decision-making: https://bit.ly/4vVxAsV

Jonathan Swan on Trump's Enablers & Government by and for the Very Few

A lively and informative conversation on Swan's new book, Regime Change

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In the latest episode of #TheContext, author @galbeckerman.bsky.social challenges us to think about the choices we make when something feels wrong. Tune in and subscribe: https://bit.ly/GetTheContext

“Americans who spend at least five hours a day on social media are less accepting of those who do not share their beliefs, and more open to political violence.” #DemocracyForAll https://bit.ly/4pQyIwG

Inside the Mind of an Online Extremist

Since the advent of social media, guardrails have been in place to deal with extremist content and helping prevent users from becoming radicalized. The removal of many of these safety mechanisms recen

realclearworld.com

KF Senior Fellow @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social moderates a Leadership Now discussion on the risks facing election administration, why public trust matters, and what can help strengthen confidence in the electoral process. https://bit.ly/45vzQwb

100 Days Out: The Election Risks Ahead

Nevada Secretary Cisco Aguilar, election law expert Sarah Gonski, and former Congressman Adam Kinzinger join Bill Kristol on how business leaders can help protect trust in elections.

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Find out what you missed at #LibCon 2026, the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism's third annual Liberalism for the 21st Century conference: https://bit.ly/3S1Msbk

The Department of Justice is meant to operate independently of any president. So, where did things go wrong? Listen to understand how the DOJ reached this moment and why its independence matters to everyone.

Outrage 93 - The Structural Battle for the DOJ - Alex Lovit - Outrage Overload

Is an independent DOJ a myth? Historian Alex Lovit deconstructs the 2026 executive power shift.

outrageoverload.net

Kettering Foundation@kettering.org · 6d ago

KF Senior Program Officer and Historian and #TheContext host @alexlovit.bsky.social joins the Outrage Overload podcast to put the DOJ’s current crisis in historical context and trace the design flaws that have left the department vulnerable: https://bit.ly/4yR4JIO

KF Senior Program Officer and Historian and #TheContext host @alexlovit.bsky.social joins the Outrage Overload podcast to put the DOJ’s current crisis in historical context and trace the design flaws that have left the department vulnerable: https://bit.ly/4yR4JIO

Outrage 93 - The Structural Battle for the DOJ - Alex Lovit - Outrage Overload

Is an independent DOJ a myth? Historian Alex Lovit deconstructs the 2026 executive power shift.

bit.ly

On a new episode of #TheStakes, KF Senior Fellow @nealkatyal.bsky.social and Harvard Law Professor @lessig.bsky.social argue that Citizens United v. FEC is among the most misunderstood Supreme Court decisions in American history: it never authorized unlimited super PAC contributions.

Imprisonment, abuse, homelessness, and extortion are just a few of the many horrific threats facing LGBTQ+ people in Uganda every day.

The Atlantic’s @galbeckerman.bsky.social joins us to explain why it is still meaningful to take action—even if success doesn't seem likely. Listen to the latest episode of #TheContext and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: https://bit.ly/GetTheContext

Although the gathering is over, the work of building #SolidarityAcrossBorders continues 🌎 We are leaving with new ideas, stronger connections, and renewed energy for the work ahead. Thank you to every speaker, partner, attendee, team member, and livestream viewer who made today possible.

KF Senior Fellow Ruth Ben-Ghiat refers to her 2020 writings to show “the destructive dynamics unfolding in 2026 America are not new”: https://bit.ly/4pRHGd6

Premonitions and Predictions; How Strongmen Cope With Failure

Nov. 2020 warnings: we are in a state of exception, a rocky transition of power lies ahead

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✉️ Stay connected to #DemocracyAroundTheGlobe by subscribing to the INTERCONNECTED newsletter: https://bit.ly/4wrHymO

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Although the gathering is over, the work of building #SolidarityAcrossBorders continues 🌎 We are leaving with new ideas, stronger connections, and renewed energy for the work ahead. Thank you to every speaker, partner, attendee, team member, and livestream viewer who made today possible.

As #SolidarityAcrossBorders comes to a close, KF President and CEO Sharon L. Davies offers a powerful message from the stage: "How will we meet this moment? We must and we will meet it together.”

“We have to redefine what we mean by success. Oftentimes, we think of success as big things. . . . Success may reside in small actions throughout our society that eventually can accumulate.” Nicholas Opiyo brings lessons from Uganda and across the region to #SolidarityAcrossBorders. 🇺🇬

As authoritarian movements are coordinating across borders, human rights defenders must be able to do the same. #SolidarityAcrossBorders