DEMOCRACY WATCHOn the Brink of an Extremely Violent Era in American Politics | The Minnesota Suspect’s Radical Spiritual World | Unpacking the Protective Power, and more

We May Be on the Brink of an Extremely Violent Era in American Politics  (Robert A. Pape, New York Times)
Since the beginning of President Trump’s second term in January, acts of political violence in the United States have been occurring at an alarming rate.
What is most concerning is that the conditions for political violence today are worsening. We may be on the brink of an extremely violent era in American politics.

The Minnesota Suspect’s Radical Spiritual World  (Stephanie McCrummen, The Atlantic)
Before Vance Boelter was accused of killing a Democratic state lawmaker, he had an active, even grandiose, religious life.

Trump Accelerates Push to Reward Loyalty in Federal Workforce  (Meryl Kornfield and Hannah Natanson, Washington Post)
Many critics say the administration is scrapping a nonpartisan, merit-based civil service in favor of a biased, politicized system.

Unpacking the Protective Power  (Chris Mirasola, Lawfare)
The constitutional basis for Trump’s use of the military in LA has a long history but is ultimately unmoored from constitutional text.

The “Unwilling or Unable” Test for Sending U.S. Military to Los Angeles  (Ryan Goodman, Just Security)
The Trump administration argues that the legal authority for sending military forces to Los Angeles is based on the president’s inherent Article II “protective power.” That authority would allow a president to use military personnel to protect federal buildings and federal personnel, according to decades-old opinions by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). 
However, there’s a catch: The same OLC opinions state clearly that the protective power can be exercised only if state and civilian authorities cannot or will not provide adequate protection. The required showing is consistent with the traditional American aversion to having the military involved in domestic civilian affairs.
It is doubtful that the situation in Los Angeles could meet the test of necessity, particularly at the time that President Donald Trump federalized the California National Guard and sent in the Marines. 

When the Military Comes to American Soil  (Joshua Braver, The Atlantic)
Domestic deployments have generally been quite restrained. Can they still be?

American Bar Association Sues Trump Administration  (Devlin Barrett, New York Times)
A lawsuit by the lawyers group seeks to stop the president’s efforts to punish law firms.

A Parade of Ignorance  (Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic)
President Trump is sending tanks rolling through the streets of the capital not to honor service, but to celebrate power.

Trump’s Un-American Parade  (T. H. Breen, The Atlantic)
What looks like an excess of strength may really be a deficit of liberty.

Is Trump Politicizing the Military?  (John Haltiwanger and Rishi Iyengar,Foreign Policy)
Critics say Trump’s military parade falls into a dangerous pattern.

When a Radical Performance Artist Has Command of an Army  (Economist)
Donald Trump’s troop deployment in LA could yet backfire.

Close Trump Allies Sponsored the Military Parade, Raising Ethical Concerns  (Minho Kim, New York Times)
Federal regulations prohibit government employees from using their public office for private gain.