• Home
  • Opinion
  • Quizzes
  • Redistricting
  • Sections
  • About Us
  • Voting
  • Independent Voter News
  • Campaign Finance
  • Civic Ed
  • Directory
  • Election Dissection
  • Events
  • Fact Check
  • Glossary
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Subscriptions
  • Log in
Leveraging Our Differences
  • news & opinion
    • Big Picture
      • Civic Ed
      • Ethics
      • Leadership
      • Leveraging big ideas
      • Media
    • Business & Democracy
      • Corporate Responsibility
      • Impact Investment
      • Innovation & Incubation
      • Small Businesses
      • Stakeholder Capitalism
    • Elections
      • Campaign Finance
      • Independent Voter News
      • Redistricting
      • Voting
    • Government
      • Balance of Power
      • Budgeting
      • Congress
      • Judicial
      • Local
      • State
      • White House
    • Justice
      • Accountability
      • Anti-corruption
      • Budget equity
    • Columns
      • Beyond Right and Left
      • Civic Soul
      • Congress at a Crossroads
      • Cross-Partisan Visions
      • Democracy Pie
      • Our Freedom
  • Pop Culture
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
  • events
  • About
      • Mission
      • Advisory Board
      • Staff
      • Contact Us
Sign Up
  1. Home>
  2. Big Picture>
  3. big picture>

Beto O’Rourke unveils comprehensive plan for improving democracy

Bill Theobald
June 05, 2019
Beto O’Rourke unveils comprehensive plan for improving democracy
Luke Harold

Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke proposed a sweeping and bold package of political process changes on Wednesday designed to make voting easier, reduce money's influence in elections and increase governmental ethics.

His plan includes such democracy reform mainstream ideas as establishing Election Day voter registration as the national standard, but also outside-the-box proposals like setting term limits for Supreme Court justices and banning political action committees from giving to campaigns.

He said his ultimate goals were to add 50 million Americans to the voter rolls and increase turnout to a record 65 percent. But, more immediately, his clear objective was to make news on a matter of policy substance in order to boost his candidacy, which got off to a high-wattage start but has recently flagged thanks to a narrative that he's much more about style than substance.


His plan for "rebuilding confidence in our democracy" is actually the fifth policy rollout of the campaign. Others have included proposals for combatting climate change and revamping immigration law.

The O'Rourke proposal also further elevates the role of the democracy reform movement in the early stages of the presidential campaign, in which most of the two dozen Democratic candidates have spoken in general terms about the need to "fix the system" without detailing specifics or making much of the issue in their stump speeches and town halls. The other prominent exception has been Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who has emphasized her plan to give every adult a taxpayer-funded voucher worth $600 to donate to federal candidates – but only those who forgo any contribution larger than $200.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

Among the highlights of the former Texas congressman's plan:

  • Extend same-day voter registration to every state (20 plus the District of Columbia now have it) and automatically register people when they interact with government.
  • Encourage more people to run and reduce gridlock by imposing limits of six terms (12 years) for House member, two terms (12 years) for senators and 18-year terms for Supreme Court justices.
  • Increase turnout by 35 million votes by making Election Day a national holiday, allowing people to vote by mail and extending early voting. That would amount to a 20 percent increase from the 138 million Americans who voted in the 2016 presidential election.
  • His plan also includes provisions to encourage more young people to vote, protect the voting process from being invaded by foreign interests and support low-dollar campaign contributions – by providing matching funds for contributions up to $500 and making them tax deductible.

O'Rourke was planning to highlight the plan at a town hall Wednesday night in Atlanta in partnership with the New Georgia Project Action Fund, an effort to engage more voters in the state that's spearheaded by Stacey Abrams, who narrowly lost the governor's race last year.

@billtheobald | williamtheobald@thefulcrum.us

Related Articles Around the Web
  • Beto O'Rourke plans 'reintroduction' as 2020 buzz fizzles ›
  • Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) | Twitter ›
  • Beto O'Rourke - Official Website ›
big picture

Want to write
for The Fulcrum?

If you have something to say about ways to protect or repair our American democracy, we want to hear from you.

Submit
Get some Leverage Sign up for The Fulcrum Newsletter
Confirm that you are not a bot.
×
Follow

Support Democracy Journalism; Join The Fulcrum

The Fulcrum daily platform is where insiders and outsiders to politics are informed, meet, talk, and act to repair our democracy and make it live and work in our everyday lives. Now more than ever our democracy needs a trustworthy outlet

Contribute
Contributors

Grand Canyon gap in America today

Dave Anderson

Chief Justice John Roberts and Chief Justice Roger Taney are Twins– separated by only 165 years

Stephen E. Herbits

Conservatives attacking Americans’ First Amendment rights

Steve Corbin

To advance racial equity, policy makers must move away from the "Black and Brown" discourse

Julio A. Alicea

Policymakers must address worsening civil unrest post Roe

Sarah K. Burke

Video: How to salvage U.S. democracy from the "tyranny of the minority"

Our Staff
latest News

What really are “special interests” in Washington - and how they influence Congress

Bradford Fitch
22m

The kids are alright: The younger generation’s inspiring legal fight against climate change

David J. Toscano
1h

Living wisely: Addressing economic faults for a sustainable future

Leland R. Beaumont
1h

The American school meal debate: It all comes down to food as market goods or public goods

C.Anne Long
23h

It’s time to retire Calvinism

Debilyn Molineaux
23h

Podcast: On democracy and its current torments

Our Staff
02 October
Videos
Video: Expert baffled by Trump contradicting legal team

Video: Expert baffled by Trump contradicting legal team

Our Staff
Video: Do white leaders hinder black aspirations?

Video: Do white leaders hinder black aspirations?

Our Staff
Video: How to prepare for student loan repayments returning

Video: How to prepare for student loan repayments returning

Our Staff
Video: The history of Labor Day

Video: The history of Labor Day

Our Staff
Video: Trump allies begin to flip as prosecutions move forward

Video: Trump allies begin to flip as prosecutions move forward

Our Staff
Video Rewind: Trans-partisan practices and the "superpower of respect"

Video Rewind: Trans-partisan practices and the "superpower of respect"

Our Staff
Podcasts

Podcast: On democracy and its current torments

Our Staff
02 October

Podcast: Is reunification still possible?

Our Staff
27 September

Podcast: All politics is local

Our Staff
22 September

Podcast: How states hold fair elections

Our Staff
14 September
Recommended
What really are “special interests” in Washington - and how they influence Congress

What really are “special interests” in Washington - and how they influence Congress

Contributors
The kids are alright: The younger generation’s inspiring legal fight against climate change

The kids are alright: The younger generation’s inspiring legal fight against climate change

Big Picture
Living wisely: Addressing economic faults for a sustainable future

Living wisely: Addressing economic faults for a sustainable future

Corporate Responsibility
The American school meal debate: It all comes down to food as market goods or public goods

The American school meal debate: It all comes down to food as market goods or public goods

State
It’s time to retire Calvinism

It’s time to retire Calvinism

Contributors
Podcast: On democracy and its current torments

Podcast: On democracy and its current torments

Podcasts