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The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has 31 proposals to improve democracy, including increasing membership in the House.
Panel started by Founders unveils big plan to save democracy they started
Jun 11 2020
Expand the size of Congress. Place term limits on Supreme Court justices. Make voting mandatory.
These are just some of the more provocative recommendations for revitalizing our democracy from the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The 31 proposals, unveiled Thursday, come after two years of research into the system's dysfunction and deliberation about how to make it work better.
But the unveiling, as the 84-page report itself notes, also comes at a particularly stressful moment for an American democracy in which extreme partisanship has already crippled the government's ability to address important national problems.
<p>That gridlock is now magnified by a president who's repeatedly challenged decades of governing norms standing for re-election in five months; by a pandemic that has killed more than 100,000 Americans and propelled the country into deep recession this spring; and by weeks of nationwide protests demanding rapid systemic change to salve decades of anger and anguish at police brutality and systemic racism.</p><p>The recommendations "touch all sectors of American life and offer a bold path that will require all of us to commit to reinventing aspects of our constitutional democracy," David Oxtoby, president of the 240-year-old academy, said in releasing the report. "A disruptive media and information environment, outdated political institutions, economic and social inequality and hyperpartisan political leadership have laid bare the urgency of this imperative."</p><p>The report outlines a bleak picture of the current state of democracy — it's condition hobbled by such ailments as low voter turnout, a loss of trust in Congress and other governing institutions, and the one-third of millennials who say they don't consider democracy as essential.</p><p>"Trust in institutions has collapsed," the report concludes, "while an online culture of gleeful, nihilistic cynicism thrives."</p><p>Still, the commission found reasons to be optimistic that "reinvention of our constitutional democracy remains entirely within reach — and urgently needed."</p><p>The recommendations include a raft of policy proposals from the mainstream democracy reform agenda — and many of them were embraced by the Democratic House last year with passage of the comprehensive package dubbed HR 1, which the Republican Senate will never touch.<br></p><p>But several of them are relatively outside the box. And, notably, the academy does not join the chorus forming this year behind making voting-by-mail the nationwide norm — although it does say absentee balloting should be encouraged nationwide this fall, along with money to count votes reliably and fast, because of the coronavirus crisis.</p><p>These are some of the most prominent proposals, which the report puts in six categories:</p><h3>Boosting equality by:</h3><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Substantially enlarging the House of Representatives from its current 435 seats so that each member has fewer constituents than today's average of 750,000, although the exact number is not specified. </li><li>Using <a data-linked-post="2636700700" href="https://thefulcrum.us/ranked-choice-voting" target="_blank">ranked-choice voting</a> for presidential, congressional and state elections. This process allows voters to rate candidates for each position in order of preference, with automatic runoffs weeding out the least-popular until a single person backed by a majority emerges.</li><li>Turning the drawing of legislative district boundaries over to citizen redistricting commissions in all 50 states, as a way to end <a data-linked-post="2636688309" href="https://thefulcrum.us/gerrymandering" target="_blank">gerrymandering</a> by political parties driven to preserve their power.</li><li>Amending the Constitution to effectively overturn the <a data-linked-post="2636209592" href="https://thefulcrum.us/citizens-united" target="_blank">Citizens United v. FEC</a> decision by the Supreme Court a decade ago, thereby permitting stricter state and federal laws to control campaign contributions and spending.</li><li>Restricting justices to 18 years on the Supreme Court, with appointments staggered so one seat comes open in each two-year term of Congress.</li></ul><h3>Empowering voters by:</h3><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Giving them more choices about where to vote through vote centers and early in-person voting.</li><li>Conducting federal elections on Veterans Day so that voting occurs when many have the day off.</li><li>Allowing every person to register as late as Election Day and be automatically registered when they do business with their state driver's license agency.</li><li>Permitting 16-year-olds to preregister and giving them options to practice voting for two years.</li><li>Requiring people to vote in federal elections unless they provide a valid reason, similar to what's required in more than a dozen other countries including such functional democracies as Australia and Belgium. Those who don't vote would face a small fine.</li><li>Creating orientation for voters participating in their first federal elections.</li></ul><h3>Enhancing governmental responsiveness by:</h3><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Experimenting with citizens' assemblies to allow members of the public to convene in blocs big enough that their policy proposals hold sway in Congress.</li></ul><h3>Expanding civic engagement by:</h3><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Establishing a National Trust for Civic Infrastructure to subsidize local groups that promote community engagement and better citizenship. It would be funded from private sources at first, but the panel said Congress should consider chipping in.</li></ul><h3>Improving communication by:</h3><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Subsidizing innovative efforts to replenish the news delivery system displaced in recent years by social media. One idea is taxing digital advertising and using the revenue to support experimental media platforms and expand local and regional investigative journalism.</li></ul><h3>Bolstering commitment to democracy by:</h3><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Establishing an expectation that every American would devote a year to some form of public service and expanding funding for service programs and fellowships.</li><li>Investing more in civic education at all grade levels.</li></ul><p>"We have no time to waste," the report concludes. "For love of freedom and equality, for love of country, for love of one another, and out of hope for a better future, we need to reclaim our bond."</p><p>The report was produced by a Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, which convened 49 public listening sessions across the country and commissioned its own research after it was established two years ago by the AAAS. The academy — created by several of the Founders in 1790 to highlight the finest minds in science, scholarship, business, public affairs and the arts — is focused now on conducting policy studies in response to societal challenges.</p>
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How not to let this virus threaten our democracy: Invest in young voters.
Apr 22 2020
Barba is senior director of external affairs for Young Invincibles, which works to magnify the impact younger voters are having on the political process and expand their economic opportunities.
<div>As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, its impacts are being felt everywhere. Hospitals are clamoring for the medical equipment they need to save lives, and almost every corner of the economy continues to reel.<br/></div>
<p>In a rare show of bipartisanship, Congress has come together to produce three packages aimed at combating that economic devastation. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act enacted last month will invest more than $2 trillion into the economy — even wisely dedicating funds to help state election officials prepare for the 2020 election. Another stimulus bill is moving this week on Capitol Hill. </p>
<p>But even with the extraordinary federal investments already made, a staggering amount of uncertainty still surrounds voting for the rest of the year. The public health emergency and its stay-at-home orders nearly nationwide have forced more than a dozen states to delay primaries. </p><p>As timelines show a slowing of the Covid-19 spread continuing to extend into late summer, our elected leaders need to start asking themselves an important question: What happens if the coronavirus impacts the November election?</p>
<p>Unfortunately, widespread confusion and uncertainty is likely to get worse for voters before it gets better. Even in the best scenarios, voters will inevitably face questions about where to vote, if their election is being held, alternatives to voting in person and complying with federal guidelines for ensuring their own safety.</p><p>The latest coronavirus aid package looks to be relatively tightly focused on replenishing the stimulus programs, keeping small businesses afloat, helping hospitals and expanding virus testing. </p><p>Talk of what might be in a fifth coronavirus package is already getting started, however, and thankfully those discussions are focused partly on helping state and local governments ensure the bedrock institutions of our nation are protected. And an essential part of that needs to be helping young voters get the information they need to find their polling location, register to vote and actually cast their ballot.</p>
<p>Experts on voting behavior have extensively documented the unique challenges facing college students trying to vote. These include voter ID laws, limited on-campus polling locations, cumbersome proof-of-residency requirements, inflexible work and school schedules, the sudden closing or changing of polling places, lack of child care or elder care, and hours-long wait times to cast a vote.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, today's students are the most diverse in history — with more student-parents, first-generation students, low-income students and students of color than ever before. So we can safely assume these barriers will impact more students as you add the coronavirus into an already confusing voting process.</p>
<p>Students deserve clear information on how, where and when they can vote. That's why we are pressing Speaker Nancy Pelosi to include legislation dubbed the HSVA, for the Help Students Vote Act, in the next legislation.</p>
<p>The HSVA has been gathering congressional support for years and was included in the comprehensive democracy reform package, dubbed HR 1, the House passed last year. Championed by Cory Booker of New Jersey in the Senate and a fellow Democrat in the House, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, the bill would empower colleges and universities with the resources they need to ensure their students know how to vote, where to vote and where they can go to get their questions answered.</p>
<p>With so much uncertainty facing voters this November, it's as important as ever that new voters have a trusted source of reliable voting information. The HSVA would instruct each college or university to designate a campus vote coordinator to be responsible for providing up-to-date voting information, be available to answer student questions and communicate with their campus about upcoming deadlines.</p>
<p>Students already look to their colleges and universities to help them transition into adulthood and understand how to navigate complex processes for the first time. In fact, more than 500 institutions nationwide have already recognized this important responsibility and designated a campus vote coordinator. By including the HSVA in coronavirus legislation, Congress can ensure these resources are available to every student — whether they attend a four-year college, community college, tech college or any other institute of higher learning.</p>
<div></div><p>But advocates need to start talking to their members of Congress about the HSVA now. We need to make it clear to Congress that ensuring voters have the information they need to cast a ballot isn't negotiable. It's the most fundamental right we have, and we have a responsibility to ensure everyone can exercise it.</p>
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Maricopa County, Ariz., saw voter turnout increase by 42 percent from 2014 to 2018, thanks at least in part to reforms put in place by the elections chief, Adrian Fontes.
Why local election administrators are key to ensuring all voters may participate in democracy
Apr 06 2020
Fontes, a Democrat, was first elected in 2016 as the Maricopa County recorder, the chief elections official for Arizona's most populous county.
Due to the coronavirus, many states that have held their presidential primaries on schedule this year experienced a decrease in turnout, chaos and confusion. As we know, the integrity and inclusiveness of our elections depends on a well-run election system — which is exactly why Maricopa County saw an increase in turnout when Arizonans cast their ballots three weeks ago.
On every Election Day, Americans eagerly tune into the news the moment the polls close, expecting decisive conclusions about the future of their country. But these flashy headlines don't often capture the rubber-meets-road work of democracy unfolding on the ground: the science of election administration.
As the head election official for Phoenix and its closest suburbs, I know this better than most. Reading the news makes elections seem simple. However, in a nation as huge and diverse as ours, administering these contests is incredibly complicated. And as we've seen so far this year — from the long Super Tuesday voting lines in Texas and California to the muddled caucus results in Iowa — each jurisdiction faces unique challenges.
That's where election administrators come in.
<p>Sometimes called county recorders, we oversee the nitty-gritty of the election process. They are responsible for ensuring that people are registered to vote and that infrastructure is set up so that, come Election Day, people are able to vote with ease and their votes are properly counted. </p><p>Unfortunately, some have instead used their power and position to stop voters from casting ballots. This can be seen in the purges of the Georgia voting rolls by Brian Kemp when he was both secretary of state and the GOP candidate for governor in 2018, and by North Carolina's <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/18/politics/north-carolina-voter-id-law/index.html" target="_blank">recent attempt</a> to disenfranchise many in poor and minority communities through a restrictive voter ID law. </p><p>Compared with states such as Maine and California, which have gone to great lengths to protect the right to vote, it's clear a person's right and ability to vote can be determined by ZIP code. </p><p>Four years ago, I inherited a deeply flawed election system — like too many around the country. After 30 years of mismanagement by my predecessors, the very groups of people most urgently in need of representation in our democracy were often the same ones who couldn't access the ballot box. They need and deserve a seat at the table but have had their voices silenced.</p><p>I sought to turn our system around by putting voter outreach and accessibility at the core of our mission. After a series of "community roundtables," we've sought to make impactful changes based on what we learned. We improved poll worker training and sought to make our elections more accessible. We optimized our voting machines to make them more user friendly — not a mass of confusing fine print or flashy, colorful displays. We strengthened no-excuse absentee voting, allowing voting by mail without restriction until Election Day. </p><p>We're immensely proud of the strides we've taken to count everyone's vote. And the numbers back us up: We saw a <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/AZMARIC/bulletins/2631fb6" target="_blank">42 percent turnout increase</a> between the 2014 and 2018 midterms. </p><p>To be sure, though, there is always more that we — and other counties across the country — can do to bring more people in.</p><p>My team recently proposed shifting entirely to voting by mail, but unfortunately we were turned down. Additionally, we should push for automatic voter registration and same-day registration and oppose overly restrictive voter ID laws and arbitrary voter roll purges. We should support independent redistricting measures that will end partisan gerrymandering. Many of these important reforms are included in HR 1, the For the People Act, which passed the House a year ago but remains stalled in the Senate. </p><p>But in order for us to keep improving, the federal government must provide the money for election administrators to do their jobs well. For starters, Congress should fully fund the Election Assistance Commission, the regulatory body that issues accessibility guidelines and approves secure voting machines. It should also provide states robust funding for election security efforts, like upgrading outdated or inaccessible voting equipment. Further, it should increase resources for training registration administrators and other poll workers like the Certified Elections Registration Administrator program so that all election officials are fully equipped to run a smooth process. </p><p>Ultimately, elections are about people. They are about giving each of our citizens a path to making themselves heard. It's the job of elections administrators to make sure every voice in our democracy counts. In this time of uncertainty, it's more important than ever to make sure our election systems are well run, secure and can work to the best of their ability. </p>
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"What we've seen in Seattle and the state is that there is no quick fix to Citizens United," writes Cindy Black. "Instead, a holistic approach is needed."
With democracy reform stalled on Capitol Hill, local and state solutions needed
Mar 24 2020
Black is executive director of Seattle-based Fix Democracy First, which advocates for campaign finance, election access and voting rights reforms.
While important democratic reforms continue to stall in the Senate, activists in some states and municipalities are showing there's another way.
In Washington state, we've created a blueprint to rein in money in politics that can work elsewhere.
We've shown that a combination of public financing of elections, increasing access to the ballot, requiring nonprofits to disclose their top donors and coming up with creative ways to restrict the flow of corporate cash into politics can go a long way in returning government to the people.
<p>We can't afford to wait on a national fix to the problems the Supreme Court created with its ruling in <a href="https://thefulcrum.us/citizens-united" target="_self">Citizens United v. FEC</a>. The 2010 decision upended long-standing campaign finance laws, unleashing a torrent of unrestrained political cash on our elections. The ruling allows outside groups and donors to spend whatever they want in an election as long as the expenditures aren't coordinated with the candidate benefiting from their money. </p>
<p>In the decade since, outside spending in support of or against candidates has blown through the stratosphere. In 2016, during the last presidential election campaign, outside groups spent $1.4 billion on influence campaigns, up from $338 million in 2008, according to the <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/reports/a-decade-under-citizens-united" target="_blank">Center for Responsive Politics</a>.</p>
<p>The rise of <a href="https://thefulcrum.us/super-pac" target="_self">super PACs</a> and mega-donors has had a terrible impact on our day-to-day lives. The unbalanced influence of this obscene political spending has led to rotten policies and laws that protect the interests of the elite at the expense of the rest of us. </p>
<p>It's not a stretch to say that Citizens United, and the sway of the mega-donors, has played a part in everything from rolling back environmental regulations to out-of-control prescription drug prices.</p>
<p>We're fighting back on the local level. And we're winning.</p>
<p>In January, the Seattle City Council passed a law aimed at restricting political spending by corporations with substantial foreign investment, which would include hometown behemoth Amazon. Campaign finance reform advocates across the country <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/14/opinion/seattle-citizens-united.html" target="_blank">have hailed the law</a> as a brilliant counter to Citizens United.</p>
<p>However, this law might not have stood a chance at passing if not for Initiative 122, which Seattle voters overwhelmingly approved in 2015. Initiative 122 created a public campaign finance system where every <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/candidates-for-seattle-city-council-have-collected-1-6-million-in-democracy-vouchers-so-far/" target="_blank">Seattle resident receives $100 in "democracy vouchers"</a> to give to candidates of their choice. </p>
<p>The voucher system helped grassroots candidates beat back a deluge of corporate cash in last year's city election, as a slate of Amazon-backed candidates went down to defeat.</p>
<p>What we've seen in Seattle and the state is that there is no quick fix to Citizens United. Instead, a holistic approach is needed.</p>
<p>The state's recent expansion of voting rights through automatic voter registration and same-day registration were a big part of the puzzle. But just as important was a new law that requires politically active nonprofits to disclose their top donors. </p>
<p>Victories in the hyperpartisan halls of Congress can be tougher to come by.</p>
<p>Constitutional amendments can take decades to become reality. Legislative solutions, such as the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/3/8/18253609/hr-1-pelosi-house-democrats-anti-corruption-mcconnell" target="_blank">For the People Act of 2019</a>, or HR 1, can get mired in bipartisan politics. The House passed the bill — which would strengthen campaign finance, voting and ethics laws — a year ago this month. And one year later, we're still fighting to get this critical legislation a hearing in the GOP-controlled Senate.</p>
<p>One thing is clear: We can't rely on Congress to solve our problems. Cities and states must lead the fight.</p>
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