Banter Box #3 - Eternal Vigilance Against Foreign Interference in America's Elections

TLP crew—

Thanks for the thoughtful response and engagement on this question.  At a time when many Americans are rightly concerned about the threats to democracy that might come from within, it’s important to keep an eye on the external actors who have an interest and a track record of interfering in recent election cycles in America, as these declassified intelligence community assessments analyzing the 2020 elections and 2022 elections did. 

A common thread in the responses to my question was the recognition that a core part of the problem is that it starts at home and the need to take steps to make America’s voters less gullible and susceptible to propaganda and manipulation advanced by various foreign actors.  As Jeff Bloodworth points out, “it seems that the ultimate answer lies with Americans. Somehow, we have to help Americans become savvier in how we read and consume our news.” Drawing on his experience as a college professor, Bloodworth notes that the government could do a lot more to enhance Americans’ information literacy in schools and public information campaigns that highlight the risks of misinformation. 

Jeff Juul agrees and points out the power of narratives set by influencers and journalists who set a frame with a story about particular events even when the facts don’t support the story being peddled. Juul also points out a recent effort to form a civil society organization to counter disinformation—this shows how open societies can have an edge over closed societies like Russia to form non-governmental organizations that tackle “common good” missions like fighting truth decay that aren’t fulfilled by government agencies.