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 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).

Recent work

Latest

Compact View

Regional Recalibration After the Iran Strikes Article

Regional Recalibration After the Iran Strikes

President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran has upended a careful balance regional actors have long sought to strike between the United States, Israel, and Iran.

H.A. Hellyer

Trump’s Short-Sighted Africa Strategy Article

Trump’s Short-Sighted Africa Strategy

The Trump administration views the African continent as “peripheral” to U.S. interests—a gross strategic miscalculation that will set back America’s security, competitiveness, and influence in the years to come.

Melissa Zelikoff

An Update on Military Actions in Iran Past Event
President Donald Trump tours the assembly line at the Ford River Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan.

An Update on Military Actions in Iran

CAP experts are ready to fill you in on the details and repercussions of military actions in Iran.

Online via Zoom

Are the Iran strikes a good idea? In the News

Are the Iran strikes a good idea?

In a symposium for NOTUS, Damian Murphy argued that the U.S. strikes on Iran were wrong and unlawful, adding that American voters don't support regime change wars.

NOTUS

Damian Murphy

What Both Anthropic and the Pentagon Get Wrong In the News

What Both Anthropic and the Pentagon Get Wrong

In an op-ed for The New York Times, Frank Kendall writes about the standoff between Anthropic and the Department of Defense, arguing that Congress must pass strong regulations on artificial intelligence to ensure a level playing field and balanced interests.

The New York Times

Frank Kendall

The SAVE America Act Explained: How the New ‘Show Your Papers’ Voting Bill Is Even More Extreme Than the SAVE Act Report
U.S. Capitol at night with various lights

The SAVE America Act Explained: How the New ‘Show Your Papers’ Voting Bill Is Even More Extreme Than the SAVE Act

At President Donald Trump’s urging, Congress is intent on passing an even more extreme version of the SAVE Act. But no matter what the far right calls these “show your papers” bills, its push to require Americans to show a passport or birth certificate to vote threatens to silence millions.

Gréta Bedekovics

How Trump’s Unilateral Foreign Policy Has Eroded American Power Article
An American flag flies near the dome of the U.S. Capitol.

How Trump’s Unilateral Foreign Policy Has Eroded American Power

In his State of the Union address, President Trump will attempt to project strength. But while his administration’s unilateral foreign policy—from military strikes on Iran to reckless tariffs—expands the bounds of executive power, it has only weakened the United States on the world stage.

Allison McManus, Dawn Le

Reining in DHS and Restoring Accountability Past Event

Reining in DHS and Restoring Accountability

Join a virtual discussion with the authors of five commonsense reforms to rein in DHS.

How middle powers can build a truly inclusive post-Trump order In the News

How middle powers can build a truly inclusive post-Trump order

H.A. Hellyer comments on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's remarks in Davos and how the world's middle powers can band together to create a more inclusive global order after Trump.

Prospect

H.A. Hellyer

Marco Rubio’s Deal: Trading Venezuelan Democracy for Oil Article
Marco Rubio facing cameras across table

Marco Rubio’s Deal: Trading Venezuelan Democracy for Oil

Despite claiming to be a champion of freedom in the Western Hemisphere, Secretary of State Rubio’s Venezuela strategy has traded a democratic transition for oil access for the United States, sidelining the opposition and preserving the authoritarian regime.

Frances Colón

The Trump Administration’s ICE and CBP Have Become a Threat to Americans: Congress Must Ensure That DHS Follows the Law and Adopts Commonsense Reforms Article
ICE agents detain woman on ground

The Trump Administration’s ICE and CBP Have Become a Threat to Americans: Congress Must Ensure That DHS Follows the Law and Adopts Commonsense Reforms

The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security is out of control, endangering the well-being and lives of Americans. DHS must follow the law and fulfill its role to enhance—not compromise—the security of Americans and the homeland.

The TikTok Deal Leaves Many Questions Unanswered Article

The TikTok Deal Leaves Many Questions Unanswered

The TikTok deal encapsulates every abusive practice of the Trump administration—secrecy, unprecedented claims of executive power, and noncompliance with the law.

Adam Conner

Illiberal International: The Transatlantic Right’s Challenge to Democracy In the News

Illiberal International: The Transatlantic Right’s Challenge to Democracy

In a chapter published in the European Center for Populism Studies’ report “Populism and the Future of Transatlantic Relations: Challenges and Policy Options,” Robert Benson investigates the transatlantic dimensions of far-right political mobilization, tracing the networks linking populist and authoritarian actors across Europe and the United States.

European Center for Populism Studies

Robert Benson

Iran and the Limits of American Power In the News

Iran and the Limits of American Power

Andrew Miller writes in Foreign Affairs about what a U.S. military strike in Iran would and would not achieve.

Foreign Affairs

Andrew Miller

Making Sense of Iranian Protests and U.S. Response Past Event

Making Sense of Iranian Protests and U.S. Response

Please join the Center for American Progress for a discussion that will explore the significance of the protests and assess the implications of potential U.S. responses.

Online via Zoom

This is how we solve America’s housing crisis Newsletter

This is how we solve America’s housing crisis

Join Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and others to learn what an ambitious housing agenda should look like

La intervención militar de Trump en Venezuela beneficia a las grandes petroleras, no al pueblo estadounidense Artículo
A child walks along the beach at dusk on the outskirts of El Palito refinery.

La intervención militar de Trump en Venezuela beneficia a las grandes petroleras, no al pueblo estadounidense

La administración Trump arriesgó las vidas de militares estadounidenses con sus recientes acciones militares en Venezuela, todo en un esfuerzo por beneficiar a sus donantes petroleros a pesar del alto costo para los contribuyentes.

Is AI good for democracy? In the News

Is AI good for democracy?

In a symposium published by NOTUS, Adam Conner provides commentary arguing that AI is too easy to misuse and perpetuates the spread of harmful disinformation.

NOTUS

Adam Conner

American Leadership in AI, Science, and Innovation: A Conversation With Sen. Mark Kelly Past Event

American Leadership in AI, Science, and Innovation: A Conversation With Sen. Mark Kelly

Join the Center for American Progress for a conversation with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) as part of CAP’s “What’s Next: Conversations on the Path Forward” series.

Center for American Progress & Online (1333 H St. NW Washington DC 20005)

The Trump Administration’s Dangerous Embrace of Cancel Culture Article
A view of the White House on November 25, 2025, Washington, D.C.

The Trump Administration’s Dangerous Embrace of Cancel Culture

The Trump administration and the far right are engaging in dangerous, un-American tactics to suppress speech they dislike, cementing their control over institutions and the public by undermining First Amendment rights.

Alice Lillydahl

Trump Is Putting Military Leaders in a No-Win Situation In the News

Trump Is Putting Military Leaders in a No-Win Situation

In an op-ed published by The New York Times, Frank Kendall explains how the current legal chain of command for the military is made up of the yes-men who will not push back on anything President Donald Trump or Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth commands them to do.

The New York Times

Frank Kendall

Americans Continue To Build a Peaceful Mass Movement To Force Trump Administration Changes Article
Marchers crowd the streets of New York City as part of nationwide

Americans Continue To Build a Peaceful Mass Movement To Force Trump Administration Changes

The October “No Kings” protests show that sustained mass mobilization is a potent force, and as history reveals, peaceful protests by just 3.5 percent of a nation’s population at a peak moment can make it extremely difficult for the government to ignore peoples’ demands.

Michael Sozan

China First: The Trump Administration Has Willfully Destroyed U.S. Levers of Power in Advance of the APEC Summit Article

China First: The Trump Administration Has Willfully Destroyed U.S. Levers of Power in Advance of the APEC Summit

The Trump administration has both sabotaged the sources of American strength and competitiveness at home and dismantled American power and influence abroad, leaving the country in a weak, compromised position as President Trump heads to the APEC summit to negotiate with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump’s Take Feature

Trump’s Take

Cash and gifts received by Trump since he was elected to his second term.

Center for American Progress

A New Vision for American Foreign Policy Past Event

A New Vision for American Foreign Policy

Please join the Center for American Progress for an event unveiling an affirmative vision for American diplomacy and global leadership.

Center for American Progress and online via Zoom

Undoing Citizens United and Reining in Super PACs Past Event

Undoing Citizens United and Reining in Super PACs

Please join the Center for American Progress for the national debut of a bold new approach that rewrites the rules of money in politics, combining a revolutionary state strategy to make Citizens United irrelevant with a federal plan to rein in super PACs once and for all.

Center for American Progress

Peace in Gaza? Hopefully, But Not Assuredly Article

Peace in Gaza? Hopefully, But Not Assuredly

Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement offers hope for an end to the war, but its implementation will depend on disciplined implementation from the inconstant president.

Andrew Miller

Louisiana v. Callais: The End of the Voting Rights Act? Article
Supreme Court building beneath stormy sky

Louisiana v. Callais: The End of the Voting Rights Act?

Louisiana v. Callais puts Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in the Supreme Court’s crosshairs and could result in the elimination of the last remaining bulwark against racial discrimination in voting.

Devon Ombres

Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Colleges Will Put University Presidents in Legal Jeopardy Article
U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a meeting.

Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Colleges Will Put University Presidents in Legal Jeopardy

The White House’s proposed Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education is unconstitutional, unlawful, and will put universities and their administrators at direct risk from a politicized Justice Department.

Nobel Peace Prize for Department of War President? In the News

Nobel Peace Prize for Department of War President?

In an op-ed published by Foreign Policy, Damian Murphy argues that instead of making the world a safer place, the president’s approach to foreign policy stokes tension to further American interests.

Foreign Policy

Damian Murphy

Congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act Creates an Unaccountable Slush Fund for the Trump Administration’s Deportation Force Report
ICE officers patrol the halls of an immigration court building.

Congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act Creates an Unaccountable Slush Fund for the Trump Administration’s Deportation Force

The OBBBA pumps $75 billion into ICE with no guardrails, supercharging the Trump administration’s massive, indiscriminate deportation agenda that is operating without accountability and threatening local communities and economies.

Securing American Democracy: A Conversation With Sen. Adam Schiff Past Event
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) questions Pam Bondi during her confirmation hearing.

Securing American Democracy: A Conversation With Sen. Adam Schiff

Join the Center for American Progress for a conversation with Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) as part of CAP’s “What’s Next: Conversations on the Path Forward” series.

Center for American Progress

Undoing Citizens United and Reining In Super PACs Report

Undoing Citizens United and Reining In Super PACs

By resetting corporate powers and treating super PACs like every other PAC, Congress and the states can begin to undo the damage caused by Citizens United.

Tom Moore

Fixing the Immigration System to Strengthen the United States Past Event

Fixing the Immigration System to Strengthen the United States

Join CAP for a timely conversation with Reps. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) and CAP President and CEO Neera Tanden on solutions to actually fix our immigration system and strengthen border security.

Center for American Progress (1333 H St. NW Washington DC 20005) & Online

The Turnberry trap: Trump, Europe and global reordering In the News

The Turnberry trap: Trump, Europe and global reordering

In an op-ed published by Politico Europe, Robert Benson argues that President Trump's recent trade deal with the European Union represents an alarming global reordering—one that empowers bullying, sows division, and destabilizes international norms.

Politico Europe

Robert Benson

The Trump Administration Is Using Americans’ Sensitive Data To Build a Digital Watchtower Report
The U.S. Capitol building is seen at sunset.

The Trump Administration Is Using Americans’ Sensitive Data To Build a Digital Watchtower

The Trump administration’s abusive efforts to repurpose millions of federal records and funnel them into a centralized government database represent a systemic shift toward a consolidation of informational power while obscuring public accountability; Congress must address this with a modern legal framework including clear rights and binding duties.

Nicole Alvarez

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