Center for American Progress

Donate

Democracy

A threat to democracy anywhere is a threat to democracy everywhere. In the United States, people continue to have low levels of trust in governmental institutions, believe that the system is too prone to corruption, and feel that their democracy does not fully represent their priorities. Moreover, the past several years have seen repeated attacks on two foundational democratic norms: ensuring voters choose their elected leaders without partisan interference in election administration and broad condemnation of political violence and extremism. The violent January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021 and threats to judges and election officials have illustrated the harm caused by the erosion of widely accepted norms. We have also seen consistent and sustained attacks on democracies globally—most egregiously, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—which threaten cooperation on climate action, migration, food security, and shared prosperity.

For these and other reasons, the Center for American Progress is laser focused on restoring social trust in democracy in the United States and around the world, using existing and new methods. Our coordinated, comprehensive, and far-reaching policy strategy is developed with and advanced through the power of coalitions, narrative change, public education, and advocacy. Domestically, CAP is focused on advancing pro-democracy policies that will make U.S. democracy more representative of all Americans, reducing dangerous political extremism and violence, reforming outmoded government structures, and holding leaders accountable for breaking laws and norms. CAP is also committed to advancing a progressive and values-driven vision for a new era of U.S. engagement internationally that which reinforces the country’s domestic priorities. National security goes beyond mere military power; it includes the need for a greater global response to complex crises and effective ways to strengthen America’s economic and political competitiveness in the world.

The U.S. Capitol building is seen at dusk with a clear blue sky in the background.
The U.S. Capitol building is seen in Washington, D.C., on November 13, 2023. (Getty/Mandel NGAN/AFP)
Related Team
Democracy Policy

Featured Experts

More Experts

Latest

Compact View

  • Filter by
  • Type
    • Type
    Show Results
  • Date
    • Date
    • Date

    • to

    Custom range Fixed range
  • Topic
    • Topic
    Show Results
  • State
    • State
    Show Results
  • Toggle Search

  • 1174 Results

Clear filters

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

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

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

The Path Forward: Ideas Worth Fighting For Feature
The U.S. Capitol is seen at sunrise.

The Path Forward: Ideas Worth Fighting For

The ideas in the Path Forward series present a roadmap for policymakers who want to offer a compelling alternative to populist authoritarianism by addressing people’s problems with bold ideas.

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.

Rosa Barrientos-Ferrer, Ben Greenho, Silva Mathema

Load More

Related Priorities

Tackling Climate Change and Environmental Injustice
Issue

Tackling Climate Change and Environmental Injustice

We pursue climate action that meets the crisis’s urgency, creates good-quality jobs, benefits disadvantaged communities, and restores U.S. credibility on the global stage.

Restoring Social Trust in Democracy
Issue

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.

This field is hidden when viewing the form

Default Opt Ins

This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form

Variable Opt Ins

This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.