Protect Democracy is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization founded in 2017 (with initial work beginning in late 2016) by legal experts Ian Bassin, Justin Florence, and Emily Loeb, who previously served in the White House Counsel's Office under President Barack Obama. The organization aims to safeguard U.S. democratic institutions against perceived authoritarian threats through a multifaceted approach including public-interest litigation, research, policy advocacy, legislative efforts, and educational missions. It focuses on defending the rule of law, deterring criminality, preventing abuses of power, countering disinformation, protecting vulnerable communities, and addressing threats to elections and governance. The organization draws on expertise from over 120 professionals with backgrounds in academia, nonprofits, media, public policy, and politics across Democratic and Republican administrations. Guided by four core goals to protect and strengthen American democracy, Protect Democracy responds to global trends of democratic retreat and positions itself as a bulwark against authoritarianism, emphasizing that such threats can emerge in the U.S. and must be actively countered. The organization is supported by foundations like the MacArthur Foundation and collaborates with diverse stakeholders to advance policy reforms while monitoring and mitigating risks to democratic norms, including election integrity and institutional accountability.