Washington, D.C. — A new report from the Center for American Progress outlines a compelling case for why democracy matters in the face of a troubling drift toward autocracy and offers a comprehensive set of recommendations to update the outmoded insitutions of democracy and ensure that everyday people are more fairly represented in government.
As its foundation, the report discusses why a strong democracy is so vital to protect fundamental freedoms, equality, human rights, peace, and prosperity. It also acknowledges the uncomfortable fact that democracy in its present form is failing many Americans.
Many on the economic fringes of cities and rural areas alike are struggling and believe the broken structures of government are unresponsive to their needs. Some polls show that younger Americans and people of color are increasingly open to autocracy.
“Our democracy is not working well for many Americans, but democracy is far preferable to the alternative—autocracy,” said Michael Sozan, senior fellow at CAP and author of the report. “With many younger people and people of color increasingly open to autocracy, it is time to work together to build a strong democracy that is responsive and accountable to everyday people. We should roll up our collective sleeves and fight to implement the pro-democracy solutions in this report’s roadmap.”
The report offers several policy solutions that would strengthen the outdated structures of democracy, protect the integrity of elections, and ensure that people are fairly represented by an accountable government. It suggests specific reforms that could be taken by the next Congress and administration and beyond. They include:
- Expanding voting options
- Electing the president by popular vote
- Reforming the Senate filibuster
- D.C. statehood
- Public financing of election campaigns
- Term limits for Supreme Court justices
- Ethics reform for Congress and the Supreme Court
- Redistricting reform
These reforms would remake democracy in ways that Americans are demanding—a 21st century system designed to be truly representative of, and answerable to, all people.
Read the report: “An American Democracy Built for the People: Why Democracy Matters and How To Make It Work for the 21st Century” by Michael Sozan
A series of fact sheets accompanies the report:
The full series landing page is here.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].