the public. Those steps include capturing the referees (putting loyalists in place at agencies and courts that have the power to arbitrate, implement, or challenge policies and laws); sidelining or defaming high-profile opponents and media outlets; changing the rules of the game (via techniques like gerrymandering and voter suppression) to lock in the ruler’s (or party’s) advantages for years; and degrading norms of tolerance and fairness that protect pluralistic dialogue and reasoned debate.
