Government Reform

Americans’ trust in government—and their faith in democracy overall—remain at very low levels. In part, this lack of confidence results from the unavoidable fact that many government institutions are unable to effectively respond to people’s needs and priorities. For example, Congress often deadlocks when considering popular policies; the Electoral College sometimes produces presidential election results at odds with the popular vote; federal campaign finance laws often favor the wealthy, special interests, and corporations over voters; many states have passed laws aimed at suppressing voters of color and subverting election results; and the U.S. Supreme Court has stripped people of some fundamental rights. People inevitably lose trust in government when the system seems prone to corruption and stacked against them or when elected leaders fail to enact and defend policies designed to help people achieve the American dream.

To meet these challenges, the Center for American Progress is focused on progressive, commonsense policies to modernize government for 21st century realities and build a democracy that fully represents all Americans. CAP’s government reform work takes place at the local, state, and federal levels, and wherever possible, with stakeholders across the ideological spectrum. We advance policies that will, among other things, set national baseline standards to help ensure free and fair elections and the drawing of nonpartisan congressional districts; reduce the influence of corporate money and secret spending that warp elections; meaningfully reform the Supreme Court; update U.S. Senate rules to make it harder for the minority political party to stop progress on popular legislation; and ensure that elected officials do their jobs in transparent and ethical ways.