Lara Hicks ’20 B.A. (IR)/’21 M.P.A. grew up hearing her mother recount life in the Philippines in the 1970s and ’80s under the regime of Ferdinand Marcos. The dictator curtailed civil liberties, controlled the media, abolished Congress and called for the arrest of opponents with his declaration of martial law.

Fueled by her deep appreciation for U.S. democracy and by her mother’s painful memories, Hicks works as an impact associate for the nonpartisan organization Protect Democracy, based in Washington, D.C.

“My mom worked really hard to be a U.S. citizen and has such a deep love for this country,” said Hicks. “I feel like I owe it to her and others with similar stories to strengthen participation and guardrails to protect democracy. The anecdotes my mother has shared with me serve as a reminder that authoritarian threat isn’t limited by borders. This issue isn’t going away—we’re seeing a lot more democratic backsliding.”

Protect Democracy’s staff spans the political spectrum including conservatives, moderates and liberals with expertise in policy, law, technology, systems and operations, legislation, communications and more. Together, they work to address seven areas the organization has identified as the greatest threats to democracy: politicizing independent institutions, spreading disinformation, aggrandizing executive power, quashing dissent, marginalizing vulnerable communities, corrupting elections and stoking violence.

“My focus as of late has been on preventing democratic backsliding and protecting civil society groups facing autocratic threats—for example, those who are worried about retribution for speaking or advocating for democracy and the rule of law,” Hicks explained.

By Jessica Youngman