Is the halt in corporate donations a punishment, tactic or turning point?
News
Capitol riot prompts halt in corporate political gifts. Punishment, tactic or turning point?
Democracy reformers are seeing one of their most ardent longings realized, albeit perhaps only temporarily and for truly extraordinary reasons:
The gusher of money that's steered American politics for so long has abruptly slowed this week. Two huge banks, a rasher of prominent companies and many lobbyists have all suspended campaign giving.
A few have done so across the board, spooked at how last week's insurrection at the Capitol has propelled democracy's distress to a new nadir. But most say they are closing their checkbooks only to those Republicans who countenanced the rebellion with their votes to overturn the presidential election.
Podcast playlist: insurrection at the Capitol
Following the attack on the Capitol last week, The Democracy Group podcast network quickly created episodes to help listeners make sense of what transpired and what these events mean for the future of American democracy.
These episodes discuss how the proliferation of right-wing violence and extremism show that democracy reform is more urgently needed than ever. Hear perspectives from Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig, New America's Lee Drutman and more.
Debate
The Capitol mob was put down. The disinformation spreaders need to be defeated next.
"Elected officials who engage in disinformation must be banned from public life," writes Josh Berthume, a fellow at the Turman National Security Project.
Community
Job alert: communications manager, No Labels
No Labels is looking for someone to handle copywriting, editorial calendar management and other communications work. For more reform jobs, head over to democracyjobs.org.