What does it mean to live in a fragile democracy? It can be difficult to imagine what that actually looks like. State voter suppression laws and candidates for elected office threatening political retribution against their opponents are two examples. But it isn't every day that we witness the fragility of our system of government up close.

On August 2, NETWORK government relations advocate Jarrett Smith experienced how a single false alarm can shut down the function of an entire Congressional office building. His experience makes clear how the threat of political violence can stop the functions of democracy in their tracks. If people fear for their safety, they are less likely to participate. From January 6 to people with assault rifles standing near polling places of voters of color, Christian nationalism is a serious threat to democracy in the United States today.

That's why this season of Just Politics will focus on democracy, the perils it faces, and what we can do to protect, promote and expand the system to build a pluralistic, inclusive society.

You can read more about Jarrett Smith's experience, NETWORK, and the importance of democracy in the links below:

Associated Press report on the August 2 incident on Captiol Hill https://apnews.com/article/congress-senate-lockdown-capitol-police-acf2c7c341e3445f190a59e0aaf52067

NETWORK's support for the Freedom to Vote Act https://networklobby.org/news/2023-freedom-vote-act/

More on why this season of Just Politics is centered on democracy https://uscatholic.org/articles/202309/season-3-of-just-politics-podcast-digs-into-promise-of-democracy/

You can read the transcript for this episode at U.S. Catholic:https://uscatholic.org/articles/202309/just-politics-what-we-mean-by-fragile/