The Democracy Policy team is advancing an agenda to win structural reforms that strengthen the U.S. system and give everyone an equal voice in the democratic process.
Protestors raise their fists during a rally on the National Mall before the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., April 2006. (Getty/Mandel NGAN/AFP)
What we're doing
Safeguarding democracy by enacting bold structural reforms
To build a multiracial representative democracy, we need bold structural reforms that expand participation. We are leading policy analysis and research, communications, and advocacy to pass voting rights and democracy reform legislation in Congress to help defend democracy from the serious threats it faces.
Combating democratic decay and disinformation
We are leading cross-institutional work to combat the erosion of trust in government and in our elections—spread in part by the big lie about the 2020 election and a broader strategy by conservatives employed for decades.
We are part of the 200+-organization Declaration for American Democracy coalition, the largest coalition of progressive groups assembled to fight for democracy reform—including intersectional advocacy, membership, and policy groups.
President Biden’s Speech Described a Democracy Under Attack
In his speech to the nation on November 2, President Joe Biden laid out the wide-ranging threats to democracy—and how Americans must come together to repel them.
How Americans Can Fight Back Against a Radical Supreme Court Majority
Responding to the judicial overreach of a radical Supreme Court majority will require long-term structural reforms to the courts and immediate action to mitigate the harms caused by their wrongly decided decisions.
New York Has a Historic Opportunity to Prohibit Political Spending by Foreign-Influenced U.S. Corporations
Latrice Walker and Michael Sozan argue that to protect the integrity of New York’s government and promote economic patriotism, the state must pass a law banning political spending by foreign-influenced U.S. corporations.
Unions Are Democratically Organized, Corporations Are Not
The authors make the case that in order to strengthen political democracy, policymakers should support the creation of democratically organized groups such as unions.
Secretaries of State Are Crucial for Protecting African American Voters
As the ongoing coronavirus pandemic makes ensuring voters’ and election workers’ safety even more imperative, fair and inclusive elections must be state officials’ top priority heading into November.
Trump Is Trying To Make Voting by Mail a Partisan Issue
President Trump is attempting to turn Republicans against voting by mail, even though it is an effective, traditionally bipartisan, and popular method of voting.
Trump Continues To Spread Dangerous Falsehood That Voting by Mail Leads to Fraud
President Trump’s argument that voting by mail leads to voter fraud has been disproven over many elections and in multiple studies—and is rooted in Republicans’ long-standing efforts to suppress votes.
Corruption Consultants: Conservative Special Interests and Corporations Hurt State Economies and Democratic Processes
Malkie Wall, Danielle Root, and Andrew Schwartz explain how special-interest groups have used states’ tradition as “laboratories of democracy” to implement damaging and regressive policies at the behest of corporate clients and wealthy donors.
Case Studies in Voter Suppression: Profiling Voter Suppressors
In order to bring attention to the nationwide problem of voter suppression, it is important to call attention to the politicians who are most notorious for restricting voter access.
Congressional Democrats Pushing for Bold Democracy Solutions
Author Michael Sozan discusses the damaging impact of the Trump administration's policy agenda and congressional Democrats' efforts to regain the American people's trust with a bold reform agenda.
