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Restoring Social Trust in Democracy

Democracy is under attack at home and abroad. We must act to ensure it is accessible to all, accountable, and can serve as a force of good.

A voting rights activist dresses as "Ms. Liberty," August 2021. (Getty/Alex Wong)
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).

Voter-Determined Districts

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).

A thunderstorm passes over the U.S. Capitol building, July 2019. (A thunderstorm passes over the U.S. Capitol building)
The Impact of the Filibuster on Federal Policymaking

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).

A a statue of blind justice is seen outside the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, September 2016. (Getty/AFP/Brendan Smialowski)
It Is Past Time for Congress To Expand the Lower Courts

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).

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I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends Past Event
Book cover for I Disagree by Jessica Tarlov.

I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends

What does it take to be the lone liberal in a room full of conservatives?

Center for American Progress & Online via Zoom

Congress Should Put Commonsense Guardrails on Military Use of AI Article
The side of White House in low, shadowed sunlight

Congress Should Put Commonsense Guardrails on Military Use of AI

Congress should include robust guardrails in the fiscal year 2027 NDAA to ensure that the Department of Defense protects safety, ethics, and its legal obligations in developing military capabilities enabled by artificial intelligence.

Allison McManus

Montana’s Plan To Curb Election Spending In the News

Montana’s Plan To Curb Election Spending

Jon Tester explains how Montana is pursuing a plan to curb election spending without violating Citizens United.

The Progressive

Jon Tester

The Trump Administration’s Flawed List-Matching Practices Could Disenfranchise Voters and Undermine Confidence in U.S. Elections Article
Voters check in on the second day of early voting ahead of the midterm elections

The Trump Administration’s Flawed List-Matching Practices Could Disenfranchise Voters and Undermine Confidence in U.S. Elections

The Trump administration’s rushed—and likely illegal—push to confuse voters and convince election officials to purge the voter rolls oversteps its authority and risks disenfranchising eligible Americans ahead of the midterm elections.

Ben Hovland, Emma Hulbert

Prioritizing US Adversaries Over Allies Is a Losing Strategy In the News

Prioritizing US Adversaries Over Allies Is a Losing Strategy

In an op-ed published by The National Interest, Jonathan Fritz argues that by punishing long-term partners such as Canada while appeasing Beijing, the Trump administration is encouraging a heightened dependency on Chinese supply chains that undermines U.S. workers.

The National Interest

Jonathan Fritz

CAP’s Response to the FTC’s Proposed Enforcement Policy Statement on Personalized Pricing Article

CAP’s Response to the FTC’s Proposed Enforcement Policy Statement on Personalized Pricing

The Center for American Progress submitted comments in response to the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed enforcement policy statement on personalized pricing, urging the commission to go beyond disclosure and establish stronger protections against harmful surveillance pricing.

Megan Shahi, Zoë Baird, Jared Bernstein

Boots Off Ballots: The Law In the News

Boots Off Ballots: The Law

In an op-ed published by Just Security, Dan Herman and Devon Ombres break down the current laws on military presence at polling sites as they apply to the federal military and the National Guard.

Just Security

Dan Herman, Devon Ombres

Trump’s fawning over Xi won’t advance U.S. interests In the News

Trump’s fawning over Xi won’t advance U.S. interests

In an op-ed published by MS NOW, Jonathan Fritz recaps the Trump-Xi summit, arguing that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit didn’t do much to advance U.S. interests on issues that really matter to Americans.

MS NOW

Jonathan Fritz

5 Ways the FTC Can Protect Americans From AI-Fueled Surveillance Pricing Report
Sign reading

5 Ways the FTC Can Protect Americans From AI-Fueled Surveillance Pricing

As artificial intelligence makes surveillance pricing more intrusive, unfair, and opaque, the Federal Trade Commission should go beyond disclosure by limiting the harmful ways businesses can use personal data and giving consumers meaningful control over how their information is used to set prices.

Megan Shahi, Zoë Baird, Jared Bernstein

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