Democracy Initiative

Progressive people-powered movements have routinely faced opposition from those who benefit from social inequality. These opposing forces have devoted vast resources to influence policy makers, markets, the media and the public to protect the status quo. In the past few years, however, these same forces, not content with their already outsized influence, have taken aim at the foundations of our democratic tradition itself, seeking to undermine the principles of equal representation and civic participation in American democracy.

The Democracy Initiative, launched in 2013, seeks to restore the core principle of political equality. Labor, civil rights, voting rights, environmental, good government and other like-minded organizations with broad memberships are committed to building a movement to halt the corrupting influence of corporate money in politics, prevent the systemic manipulation and suppression of voters, and address other obstacles to significant reform, including the abuse of U.S. Senate rules that allow a small minority to obstruct deliberation and block action on legislation addressing the critical challenges facing our nation.