This is a summary of a blog post via Sierra Club–see link at end of this summary for full article.
Project 2025: The Blueprint for Autocracy in America
Imagine a blueprint designed to dismantle our constitutional order, transforming America from a democracy into an autocracy in one swift move. This alarming concept isn’t just hypothetical—it’s the essence of Project 2025, a plan developed by a Far Right think tank, the Heritage Foundation, with support from over 100 other similar organizations. What could possibly go wrong?
The Rise of Project 2025
Project 2025 was initiated by the Heritage Foundation, whose leader claims we’re in a “second American Revolution” that could turn violent if opposition doesn’t fall in line. Over its 51-year history, the Heritage Foundation has been a significant force on the Far Right. Around 2016, it became increasingly extreme, culminating in Project 2025 and its 900-page guidebook aimed at ending the American democratic experiment.
Undermining Checks and Balances
The premise of Project 2025 is that our constitutional system of checks and balances is skewed against certain political views. This argument itself exposes the extremity of those behind it. Our Constitution and democratic institutions provide a framework for political debate and disagreement within the natural parameters of our system. Historically, despite our nation sometimes straying from its founding principles, there has been a general consensus that America is a republic that elects leaders through representative democracy. We agreed that to serve the best interests of all, debate and a free exchange of ideas, along with the separation of powers, were essential.
Project 2025 seeks to discard these principles. It attacks democratic institutions, advocating for purging the federal government of anyone perceived as disloyal to the ruling party. It promotes presidential powers that usurp authority from other branches of government, including the power of the purse. Essentially, it endorses a political system where the president has unquestioned authority to redirect congressionally appropriated funds at will.
The Threat to Democracy and Well-being
Pro-democracy legal organization Democracy Forward calls Project 2025 “among the most profound threats to the American people,” citing the plan’s potential harm to millions of lives and livelihoods. This includes attacks on overtime pay, student loans, reproductive rights, and allowances for more discrimination, pollution, and price gouging.
A recent Navigator Polling survey highlighted overwhelming public opposition to Project 2025’s healthcare policies. Among the findings, 83 percent oppose removing protections for people with pre-existing conditions, 81 percent oppose a new tax on employer-provided health insurance, and 80 percent oppose banning Medicare from negotiating lower prices and eliminating the $35 monthly insulin cap.
Dismantling Key Services
Project 2025’s radical proposals extend to defunding public education and eliminating Head Start, an early education program serving a million low-income children. It also plans to reduce food assistance for 40 million people and jeopardize hundreds of thousands of jobs.
One of the most reckless aspects of Project 2025 is its support for defunding or dismantling key federal agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA plays a critical role in tracking hurricanes and understanding climate change impacts. Project 2025’s climate denialism is so extreme that it accuses NOAA of driving “the climate change alarm industry,” a stance that even fossil fuel companies have moved beyond.
The Imperative of a Strong Democracy
The idea of eliminating agencies at the forefront of climate science is ludicrous, especially in the face of extreme weather events like Hurricane Beryl, which recently hit Texas with unprecedented force. With eight fatalities and over 2.5 million people losing power in the extreme heat, the need for robust climate action is clear.
Our nation faces significant challenges. An authoritarian power grab undermining checks and balances is not the solution. A strong democracy responsive to its people is the only way to address these challenges, protect fundamental rights, and survive the climate crisis. Dictatorships have consistently led to failure and misery worldwide. Project 2025’s focus on consolidating power, punishing political opponents, and serving the powerful few over the many is not the future Americans want or deserve.
This summary is based on: