American Democracy at Risk
The Sycamore Group
American democracy is under severe threat of being turned into an autocracy of the oligarchs, by the oligarchs, and for the oligarchs. Consequently, three Indiana researchers formed the Sycamore Group to collaborate on conducting an analysis of the threats as a prelude to identifying remedies for those threats.
First, we undertook a thorough study of The Federalist Papers—a collection of 85 essays published in 1787-1788 to promote ratification the proposed United States Constitution—to develop a deeper understanding of the United States Constitution and the rationale behind each of its provisions. How is a democratic republic supposed to function?
Second, we developed a schema for classifying different kinds of threats, to ensure a comprehensive identification of the threats. We undertook an extensive review of resources (e.g., books, articles, podcasts, videos, websites) and identified 91 threats grouped into 10 categories that we call "The Grid." You can find it in White Paper 1.
Third, we wrote a detailed description of the nature of each of the 91 threats based on that review of resources. We call it "The Narrative." You can find it in White Paper 2.
Both The Grid and The Narrative are now available in our new book, "American Democracy at Risk: Ninety-One Threats We Face Today." It is available from the publisher, Authorhouse, and also from Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
We are currently working on another book that will propose remedies for the threats.
We welcome comments and suggestions.
Here is a video on
"Democracy's Vital Signs"
This video is a series of interviews with elected leaders in Indiana responding to the question:
“Is our democracy under attack?”
The video concludes with concrete suggestions on how to make your voice heard and to join with others seeking nonpartisan solutions to maintaining our democracy.
Updated October 27, 2026