Opinion: We need a new doomsday clock — for democracy

Remember the Doomsday Clock? Created in 1947 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, it marks how close the world is to destruction — originally by the threat of nuclear weapons, and now by the catastrophic effects of climate change as well. It has been an effective way to communicate to the public how close to the edge the world might be.

Perhaps it’s time to create a new doomsday clock — to tell us how close we are to the loss of democracy in the United States. Why? Consider the following:

• In the wake of major changes to voting laws by Georgia lawmakers, Republicans are reorganizing six county election boards. They are purging Black officials and replacing them with white Republicans in order to consolidate control over election administration. 
• In Wisconsin, Republicans are attacking an agency they created — the Wisconsin Election Commission. U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has called for the state’s legislature to take over the election process, and the Republican speaker of the state assembly, Robin Vos, has said that felony charges are "probably" justified for most of the commission members.
• In Texas, although the state gained two House seats as a result of new residents of color, its legislature produced a congressional map that reduced representation of people of color. The state also continues to have some of the most repressive voting laws in the nation, with bans on drive-through voting, bans on the distribution of mail-in ballot applications, and monthly citizenship checks.
• Thus far this year, 19 states have enacted 33 laws making it harder to vote. In Iowa, people could face criminal charges for returning ballots on behalf of voters who may need assistance, such as voters with disabilities. The Iowa law also shortened poll times and the window of time to apply for a mail ballot.

In fact, the United States is now considered a "backsliding democracy" by International IDEA, a European think tank. As measured by such metrics as representative government, fundamental rights, checks on government, impartial administration and participatory engagement, the U.S. reached a historic turning point when former President Donald Trump baselessly questioned the results of the 2020 elections.

More:Opinion: Make Jan. 6 a time to celebrate upholding freedom, not undermining it

More:Opinion: Iowa's shoddy new voting laws did not pass muster

What would a democracy doomsday clock do for us? Most importantly, the clock could provide a warning of the fundamental threat to our democracy — a danger that is not always obvious. For example, when Iowa Republicans pushed through their voting law, they cloaked the changes in terms of improving "voting integrity" — even though no significant or persistent fraud has been identified in any Iowa election. As recently as 2017, Secretary of State Paul Pate’s office reviewed 1.6 million votes — and were able to identify only 10 votes as "potentially improper."

Where should the democracy doomsday clock be set? At present, the answer would have to be: one minute to midnight.

Jeff Dickey-Chasins runs JobBoardDoctor LLC, a consulting business in Grinnell. He is also a writer, woodworker, and library supporter.