Q&A: When it comes to democratic backsliding, our federalist system is a two-way street

As the 2026 midterm elections approach, the signs of democratic backsliding are everywhere across the U.S. political landscape. Troubling signs include the Trump administration's demand for state voter roll data and interference with mail-in voting, the pressure it applied to Georgia election officials to reverse Joe Biden's victory in that state in the 2020 election and, of course, extreme partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts.