The Steady State Resource Hub
Clear, credible guidance in one place. This hub provides the essential documents, laws, and expert materials that keep American democracy upright — and help citizens and public servants navigate a noisy, confusing moment with confidence.
If you need the signal without the noise, start here. Questions? Reach out to us.
CONTENTS
Foundational U.S. Governance & Rule of Law
Military Law, Ethics & Unlawful Orders
Authoritarianism & Democratic Decline
Domestic Security & “Internal Security”
Congress’s Authority Over the Executive Branch
Elections, Disinformation & Civic Resilience
Supreme Court Cases on Executive Power
Democracy SITREP
This report tracks the pace and pattern of democratic backsliding in the United States. They provide a running baseline for understanding institutional stress, authoritarian risk factors, and the indicators experts monitor most closely.
Accelerating Authoritarian Dynamics: Assessment of Democratic Decline — Oct 16, 2025 and the summary of the study.
Periodic Update — Jan 22, 2026
Periodic Update — Feb 26, 2026
Periodic Update — Mar 26, 2026
Foundational U.S. Governance & Rule of Law
These bedrock documents define American rights, limits on government power, and the legal frameworks that protect democratic institutions. They’re essential reference points for understanding what “normal” governance looks like.
Bill of Rights (Bill of Rights Institute)
Declaration of Independence (National Archives)
U.S. Constitution (National Archives)
Federalist Papers (Library of Congress)
Church Committee Reports (1975–76)
Executive Order 12333 – U.S. Intelligence Activities
Executive Order 13526 – Classified National Security Information
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)
Homeland Security Act of 2002
National Security Act of 1947
National Security Presidential Memorandum / NSPM‑7
Privacy & Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) Reports
Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Russian Active Measures (2016)
The Posse Comitatus Act
Military Law, Ethics & Unlawful Orders
These materials explain the legal and ethical obligations of military personnel, including when service members must refuse unlawful orders. They clarify the boundaries between civilian authority, military obedience, and the rule of law.
Army Judge Advocate General’s School STP Library
DoD Law of War Manual
FM 27‑10: The Law of Land Warfare
Manual for Courts‑Martial (MCM)
Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)
USMC Law of War & ROE Handbook
Harvard National Security Journal – Superior Orders Doctrine
Just Security – Duty to Disobey Unlawful Orders Series
Authoritarianism & Democratic Decline
These resources help readers understand how democracies erode, what early warning signs look like, and how experts measure institutional resilience around the world.
Brookings – Democracy Studies
International IDEA – Global State of Democracy
Freedom House – Freedom in the World
V‑Dem (Varieties of Democracy Project)
Madeleine Albright — Fascism: A Warning
Timothy Snyder — On Tyranny
OSCE Copenhagen Document (Democratic Commitments)
Domestic Security & “Internal Security”
These links explain how domestic intelligence, surveillance, and security authorities work — and where civil liberties protections apply. They’re essential for understanding the balance between safety and constitutional rights.
ACLU – Surveillance, Technology & Civil Liberties
Brennan Center – National Security & Civil Liberties
DHS Office of Intelligence & Analysis
FBI Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide (DIOG)
GAO Reports on DHS
CIA World Factbook (2020–2021)
Congress’s Authority Over the Executive Branch
Congress has powerful tools to check executive overreach. These materials outline oversight powers, emergency authorities, impeachment, classified information rules, and the legal boundaries of presidential action.
Congressional Oversight Manual
Congressional Research Service (CRS) – Home Page
Executive Orders: Legal Framework
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Reports
Impeachment & Removal
Insurrection Act
National Emergency Powers
Separation of Powers – An Overview
The Protection of Classified Information: The Legal Framework
War Powers Resolution
Elections, Disinformation & Civic Resilience
These resources help citizens understand election security, digital threats, and how to recognize and resist coordinated disinformation campaigns.
Belfer Center – Defending Digital Democracy
CISA — Election Infrastructure Security
CISA — Rumor Control (historical reference; no longer active)
Supreme Court Cases on Executive Power
These landmark cases define the limits of presidential authority and the protections citizens retain even during wartime or national emergencies.
Ex parte Milligan (1866)
Little v. Barreme (1804)
Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952)
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006)
Partners, Friends & Allies
These organizations share a commitment to democratic norms, responsible governance, and principled public service.
Foreign Policy for America
FP21
National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A)
Partnership for Public Service
Protect Democracy
Team Democracy
The Lincoln Project
Veterans for Responsible Leadership
VoteVets
How‑Tos & Cheat Sheets
Quick, practical guides for citizens and public servants navigating today’s governance challenges.
Contact Your Congressperson
Hatch Act Primer
The Atom – Primer on Fission, Fusion, Reactors & Nuclear Weapons
The Whistleblower Protection Act: A Legal Overview (CRS)