Government “of the people” requires a political system that responds to the priorities and needs of the American public. While organized interest groups are easily heard in the halls of Congress, the general public has fewer avenues to ensure that its priorities are reflected in the policy making process. We need to find ways to make government more accountable to the public and less accountable to political donors.

To create a more responsive political system, the Democracy Fund will explore a range of strategies aimed at increasing the public’s voice in our political process and reducing the demands placed on political candidates that make them more dependent on large donors. We will also look to increase public awareness about how donors influence the political process and create political will for change.

The Democracy Fund will pursue bi- and non-partisan research, dialogue, and negotiation about political reforms that may improve our campaign finance system and reduce corruption. Our aim is to understand how different types of reform work and to build political consensus around those that work best.

Government “by the people” depends on voters having the information and skills needed to govern. Media must combat misinformation, expose voters to different points of view, and inform the public debate. New technology must provide the public with better access to information and better filters for making sense of the news. Our education system must equip citizens with the skills required to decipher the messages they hear from political leaders and through the media.

To create a more informed electorate, the Democracy Fund will champion truth-seeking journalism that holds political leaders accountable for what they say and provides voters with adequate context to draw conclusions about the choices in front of them. We will work with media reformers to increase the diversity of viewpoints to which the public is exposed and foster more sustainable and effective journalistic institutions.

Additionally, the Democracy Fund will seek out new innovations in technology and media, while exploring opportunities for the public to engage in dialogue about the greatest challenges facing our nation.

Government “for the people” requires our political process to have the capacity to rise above our differences and find solutions to our most pressing problems. Unfortunately, the polarization of American politics has often left our political institutions paralyzed and unable to function. New political institutions are needed to support authentic dialogue and collaborative problem solving among citizens, advocates, and leaders. And political reforms are needed to create a greater incentive to reach across the aisle and work towards principled compromise.

The Democracy fund seeks to foster better, more trusting relationships among political leaders and encourage greater civility to increase their capacity to work together to solve problems. We will study reforms to our electoral system and to Congressional procedures in order to reduce the institutional influences that produce hyper-partisanship.

Finally, the Democracy Fund will build up the political infrastructure needed to support collaborative problem solving by creating more political will for leaders to reach across the aisle.