Democracy Watch: Tracking Legislative Threats
This tool tracks, maps and exposes trends in federal and state legislation that directly or indirectly undermine civil and human rights and threaten our democratic institutions. It was designed to help advocates, journalists, and concerned citizens monitor and respond to legislation that impacts our communities and our democracy.
Last Updated: 1/14/2025, 10:40:12 PM
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Human Rights First tracks and exposes efforts to leverage, co-opt, and infiltrate legitimate democratic institutions, processes, and policies to advance anti-democratic norms and restrict human and civil rights. Whether it is equality in the military, humane immigration policies, or equitable public education, the threads that bind our democracy together must remain strong. Join our effort as a collaborator on this project through feedback and partnership.
Tracking Legislative Threats
Targeting Our Communities and Our Democracy
Human Rights First developed Democracy Watch to track, map, and expose trends in federal and state bills that directly or indirectly undermine democratic processes (i.e. free and fair elections), weaken democratic institutions (i.e. public education), or harm specific diverse communities, including immigrants, refugees, Jewish communities, Muslim communities, women, LGBTQ+ communities, Black and Brown communities, Asian American communities, Native Hawaiian and other indigenous communities, Pacific Islander communities, and others.
Read More About Democracy WatchCategories
The following categories are umbrella terms for the most common types of antidemocratic legislation:
Legislation that harms individuals based on their gender, gender identity, sex, sexuality, disability, and/or reproductive capacities.
Legislation that harms individuals based on their racial, religious, national, and ethnic groups such as immigrants, refugees, the Jewish community, the Muslim community, Black and Brown communities, the Asian American Pacific Islander communities, and other minority communities across the United States.
Legislation that threatens elections processes, election results, or the institutions that support democratic processes.
Legislation that harms active-duty military, veteran communities, and their families.
Legislation that supports the goals of Project 2025.
Legislation that harms immigrants, migrants, refugees in the United States, including their representation and histories.
Sub-categories
The following sub-categories are umbrella terms for the most common types of antidemocratic legislation within the four categories outlined above:
Legislation that harms Asian American, Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander communities in the United States, including their representation and histories. This also includes the Sikh community.
Legislation that harms Black communities in the United States, including their representation and histories.
Legislation that harms the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and broader community of sexual identities and performance in the United States, including their representation and histories.
Legislation that harms Latino, Latina, and LatinX communities in the United States, including their representation and histories.
Legislation that harms Muslim American and Arab American communities in the United States, including their representation and histories.
Legislation that harms Jewish communities in the United States, including their representation and histories.
Legislation that harms diversity, equity, inclusion, and ability initiatives. These initiatives support the representation and provision of equal opportunities for all racial, religious, ethnic, sexual, and gendered demographics.
Legislation that harms educational institutions, educators, and curriculum.
Legislation that harms election processes and outcomes.
Legislation that threatens freedom of the press or media in all of its forms.
Legislation that harms the recording, tracking, or prosecution of hate crimes and hate incidents.
Legislation that threatens access to healthcare and medical services.
Legislation that threatens the autonomy of librarians and staff as well as the public's access to reading and educational material that is representative of all communities.
Legislation that threatens the rights and representation of people based on their gender or sexuality.
Legislation that threatens public accommodations in the public and private sphere.
Legislation that threatens the right to access and attain reproductive health care.
Legislation that threatens voters' rights to equal representation in federal, state, and local elections.
Legislation that threatens indigenous or tribal rights.
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