Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

DOI

10.24926/jsepa.v3i2.6796

Publication Title

Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration

Volume

3

Issue

2

Pages

309-319

Abstract

This essay argues that threats to democracy—both global and domestic—pose an existential risk to the advancement of social justice. It explores how democratic backsliding undermines efforts to achieve social justice for all, examining anti-democratic practices such as misinformation, voter suppression, institutional dismantling, and the politicization of public service. Highlighting the interdependence between democratic institutions and social equity in public governance, the authors propose a multilevel response framework to foster democratic resilience through civic engagement, institutional accountability, and collective action. In this essay, members of the Board of the Section on Democracy and Social Justice (DSJ) of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) introduce a call to action for public servants, scholars, and civil society to reaffirm their commitment to democracy as essential for meaningful and enduring social justice.

Rights

Copyright © 2025 José Luis Irizarry, RaJade M. Berry-James, Duchess D. Humphrey, Rachel Emas, Bruce D. McDonald III, James Nordin, Michael Lee, Lindsey Evans, Anthony M. Starke, Jr., Jay M. Grosflam.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License.

ORCID

0000-0001-8963-8606 (McDonald III)

Original Publication Citation

Irizarry, J. L., Berry-James, R. M., Humphrey, D. D., Emas, R., McDonald, B. D., III, Nordin, J., Lee, M., Evans, L. L., Starke, J. A. M., & Grosflam, J. M. (2025). Threats to democracy: A danger to social justice for all. Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration, 3(2), 309-319. https://doi.org/10.24926/jsepa.v3i2.6796

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