Democracy Watch Mission
Combating Threats to Democracy & Human Rights
Human Rights First works to create a just world in which every person's intrinsic human and civil rights are respected and protected.
Read More About Human Rights First
Our Mission
Established in 1978, Human Rights First's mission is to ensure that the United States is a global leader on human rights. We work in the U.S. and abroad to promote respect for human rights and the rule of law. Fulfilling our mission demands assisting victims of injustice, bringing perpetrators of abuse to justice, and building institutions that ensure universal rights.
We seek to engage individuals and institutions across four growing challenges to human rights: resurgent authoritarianism, systemic injustice, the abuse of technology, and Democracy Protection. To address the rise of the anti-democratic movement in the United States, we launched a Democracy Protection Program in 2022 that works to undermine efforts that threaten the rights of individuals, communities, and our nation's goal of a pluralistic democracy. We expose their efforts to leverage, co-opt, and infiltrate legitimate democratic processes, policies, and institutions to mainstream and institutionalize hate. We defend the communities they target, and we hold perpetrators accountable. Human Rights First makes a clear distinction between policies and processes that may be leveraged by the individuals in the movement and the movement itself.
We are facing a national crisis of rising, hate, bigotry, and anti-democratic norms and values that presents a very real threat to our communities, our way of life, our national security, and our democracy. This threat has evolved and become more difficult to counter because it is bolstered by a rising anti-democratic movement. It draws from historic bigoted rhetoric and tactics, and deploys politicians, think tanks, media outlets, and even parents on school boards.
At Human Rights First we refer to it as:
The Anti-Democratic Movement
About the Movement
The anti-democratic movement works to consolidate power for the privileged few, restricting the rights of those it views as outsiders, and undermining critical democratic processes and institutions. Our communities, schools, libraries, elections, and individual freedoms are at risk. This looks like the rejection of the vital public school curricula that teaches the history of enslavement and white supremacist oppression in the United States. It looks like the roll back of rights for trans children, or in the rising tide of mis- and disinformation about public health policies. It results in the defunding of schools and libraries and draconian immigration policies.
Our nation is facing a grave threat. If we fail to fully understand the movement's reach and address its influence, it will succeed in rolling back civil and human rights protections, undermining our elections, dominating our social institutions and system of government, and eroding our democracy.
THE SOLUTION
Tracking the Movement's Legislative Tactics and Influence
Democracy Watch provides a hub for engagement on these legislative trends and allows the advocates, activists, researchers, and other concerned citizens to learn, advocate, and collaborate and work towards a more resilient democracy. Together we can push back against the movement's efforts to roll back civil and human rights and institutionalize hate and bigotry across the country.
The Data We Track
& How We Categorize It
Categories
The following categories are umbrella terms for the most common types of antidemocratic legislation:
Legislation that harms individuals based on their gender, gender identity, sex, sexuality, disability, and/or reproductive capacities.
Legislation that harms individuals based on their racial, religious, national, and ethnic groups including, but not limited to, immigrants, refugees, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh communities, Black and Brown communities, and indigenous communities. This includes legislation that harms the recording, tracking, or prosecution of hate crimes and hate incidents.
Legislation that threatens election processes, election results, or the institutions that support democratic processes.
Legislation that harms active-duty military, veteran communities, and their families. And legislation that weaponizes the military against civilians.
Legislation that supports the goals of Project 2025.
Legislation that harms immigrants, migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the United States, including their access to humane processes and legal representation.
Sub-categories
The following sub-categories are umbrella terms for the most common types of antidemocratic legislation within the four categories outlined above:
LGBTQ+ Rights Legislation that restricts or harms the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and broader community in the United States, including their representation and histories.
Legislation that harms the right to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in public and private institutions. This includes the right to policies that promote or protect LGBTQ+ individuals, racial justice initiatives, and fair hiring and promotion practices in workplaces.
Legislation that harms public education institutions, educators, and the right to quality curriculum.
Legislation that threatens voter’s rights to equal representation in federal, state, and local elections or legislation that harms election processes and outcomes.
Legislation that threatens the freedom of the press or media, freedom of speech, and the right to assembly, protest, or petition.
Legislation that threatens access to healthcare and medical services.
Legislation that threatens the autonomy of librarians and staff as well as the public's access to reading and educational material that is representative of all communities.
Legislation that threatens the right to access and attain reproductive health care.
Legislation that threatens the rights of Indigenous, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander communities in the United States, including but not limited to tribal sovereignty and land rights.
Legislation that threatens environmental or climate protections or endangers our critical natural resources.
Support Our Mission
The anti-democratic movement threatens the rights and freedom of people in this country. Help us push back to ensure a democracy that is representative of all of its citizens.
Built in Collaboration with Silicon Society
