Restoring Social Trust in Democracy
Democracy is under attack at home and abroad. We must take swift action to ensure it is accessible to all, accountable, and can serve as a force of good.
What We're Working On
What We're Doing
Increasing representation and access to our democracy
All Americans must have trust in elections and election results. All Americans also must have unimpeded access to the ballot box. That is why national voting standards are so important, along with laws that would protect against interference with valid election results.
Combating the spread of harmful dis- and misinformation
Disinformation, whether about COVID-19 or elections, undermines Americans’ safety and threatens our democracy. We seek to define the government’s role in combating it, give recommendations to online platforms to stem its spread, and support robust local media that can counter its worst effects.
Building a new framework to regulate online services
Americans’ lives are increasingly reliant on online services and affected by their economic, consumer, and civic harms. A robust regulatory framework, paired with new privacy protections and reinvigorated antitrust action, is needed to address the threats these services pose.
Countering violent political extremism
Countering insurgent threats is critical to maintaining our democracy. As part of this work, we have crafted a national blueprint with the McCain Institute to end white supremacist violence. Our plan draws on expertise across CAP and from more than 150 conversations with a diverse range of stakeholders.
By the numbers
59
Gerrymandering shifted an average of 59 seats in the U.S. House from 2012 to 2016.
Source: CAP, “Voter-Determined Districts” (2019).
1 in 10
42 senators, representing only about 1/10 of the U.S. population, can filibuster popular bills.
Source: CAP, “The Impact of the Filibuster on Federal Policymaking” (2019).
30%
The U.S. population has grown by about 30% since the federal bench’s last meaningful expansion.
Source: CAP, “It Is Past Time for Congress To Expand the Lower Courts” (2021).
81%
81% of voters believe tech companies have too much power and influence over politics and government.
Source: CAP Action, “Voters Support Enacting Stronger Consumer Protections Online” (2021).
What You Can Do
Recent work
Fact Sheet: Weak Gun Laws Are Driving Increases in Violent Crime
CAP’s Comment on the SEC Proposed Rule on Disclosures by Certain Investment Advisers and Companies About ESG Investment Practices
CAP’s Comment on the SEC Investment Company Names Proposed Rule
Using HIPAA To Protect Patient Privacy and Fight Abortion Criminalization
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Extremist US Politicians Are Aiding and Abetting Autocratic Hungarian Regime
The extreme right brazenly supports Hungarian efforts to impede U.S. and European Union allied interests, subverting policies that would ensure corporations pay their fair share and sanction Russia for its Ukraine invasion.
A Trillion-Dollar Defense Budget?
The Biden administration and Congress face eight challenges in calculating the size and distribution of a defense budget that has reached a record size.
Defining and Defending Contraception Post-Roe
The misclassification of contraception as abortion by anti-abortion lawmakers is an alarming step down a path toward government control over women’s bodies and futures.
Helping Afghans Without Helping the Taliban
Creative policy thinking can help the United States and the international community avert the worst human security outcomes in Afghanistan.
Authoritarian Regimes Have More Progressive Abortion Policies Than Some U.S. States
Americans in states with regressive anti-abortion laws now have fewer human rights protections than those in countries criticized for their records on women’s rights.
January 6 Hearing Day 6: Who Is Cassidy Hutchinson?
Providing new details about the January 6 insurrection, Cassidy Hutchinson testified how Donald Trump tried to hang onto his power by any means necessary.
January 6 Hearing Day 5: Here’s What Happened
Donald Trump and MAGA extremists came dangerously close to weaponizing the U.S. Department of Justice in their desperate attempt to overturn the election.
January 6 Hearing Day 4: Here’s What Happened
Donald Trump and MAGA extremists are still attacking elections. If they are not held accountable, the United States cannot preserve democracy.
January 6 Hearing Day 3: How Donald Trump Turned the Mob on Mike Pence
When Mike Pence made it clear he would not give in to Donald Trump's scheme, Trump turned the mob on him.
January 6 Hearing Day 1: January 6 Was a Coordinated Attack
Center for American Progress expert William J. Roberts explains the weight of the bipartisan January 6 hearings.
January 6 Hearing Day 1: Here’s What Happened
Carnage. Chaos. Crime. January 6 was not a random event; it was a coordinated, deliberate conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election.
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.