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At its core, Skye Perryman’s work with Democracy Forward reflects the legal front line of America’s democratic defense — a direct counter to an administration attempting to govern by intimidation and disregard for constitutional limits.
Since its founding in 2017, the organization has brought over 150 legal actions and is currently litigating more than 100 cases across the country, many challenging efforts to defund federal programs, undermine civil service protections, and deploy troops in U.S. cities. Recent court orders have blocked the administration’s attempts to fire career civil servants during a government shutdown and stopped an unlawful freeze on community funding that threatened Meals on Wheels and Head Start programs. These victories are more than procedural wins — they are real checks on executive overreach, proving that when institutions strain under pressure, the law remains a viable instrument for accountability.
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But Perryman’s broader point reaches beyond the courtroom: Legal power means little without public participation. Democracy Forward’s outreach programs — from Dinners for Democracy to community partnerships in red and blue states alike — are built on the understanding that civic resilience depends on shared engagement, not just judicial rulings.
She joined Sam Osterhout and emphasized that the normalization of troop deployments, retaliatory ICE raids, and political interference in federal agencies aims to instill fear and erode trust in democratic norms. Her organization’s model insists that Americans reclaim both levers of power: the legal and the communal. By combining courtroom strategy with grassroots mobilization, Democracy Forward is building a civic immune system — one capable of resisting autocratic impulses and reminding the nation that democracy is not self-sustaining; it survives because people defend it, case by case, and community by community.
We’re all feeling the feelings after a successful No Kings weekend. But feelings aren’t going to be enough. We need action, too — in elections, in legislation, and in the courts. Skye is doing the work.
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