THE DEMOCRACY INITIATIVE

Transcription

1 THE DEMOCRACY INITIATIVE MOBILIZING MILLIONS FOR DEMOCRACY WASHINGTON, DC

2 Launched in 2013, the The Democracy Initiative is Initiative now includes five creating a critically important convening organizations the new space where those of us Communications Workers of fighting for political equality America, Sierra Club, Common can come together and Cause, Greenpeace, and the NAACP and 51 endorsing build a broad, cross-cutting organizations, representing more movement demanding a than 35 million Americans. government that is truly of, by, and for the people. The Strength of Millions Without the energy, experience, and Michael Brune devotion to democratic values that Executive Director, Sierra Club our endorsers have demonstrated again and again over the past year, the Democracy Initiative could not have accomplished so much in so short a time. Our strength comes from our ability to catalyze millions behind our democracy goals. In 2015 we must deepen the commitment of our constituent organizations and engage members and activists across the country as we mobilize for democracy, broaden the movement, and support innovative projects to return power to the people. A Shared Vision of a More Democratic America The Democracy Initiative is a dynamic network of activist organizations with tens of millions of members working toward a vibrant future in which all Americans participate fully and freely in the democratic process. We believe that every voter must have a voice in public policy and that every elected official must be accountable to the people and the public interest. Our 51 endorsing organizations pursue a broad range of progressive goals focused on civil rights, women s rights, workers rights, and climate change, but we all know that success in any of these areas depends on reforming our democratic process. Despite diverse missions, we are united by a shared vision: To restore the core principle of one person, one vote by reducing the influence of big money in politics; To defend and expand voting access nationally and in every state; and To end the abuse of arcane rules including the Senate filibuster which promotes dysfunction and gridlock, and distance Americans from their government. Mobilizing for Democracy We make it clear in our name: Democracy is what we care about. We want the people s voices to be heard and to determine the future of America. The desire to expand democracy drives us to fight for voting rights, monitor polls for fairness and access for all, campaign for the Democracy for All Amendment, address big money in politics, and try to mend the Senate s broken confirmation process. Strengthening the Voting Rights Amendment We worked tirelessly for voting rights reform in Drawing on the activist base and expertise of the NAACP, many of our organizations helped their members maintain pressure on lawmakers throughout the year. In the spring, youth activists from southern historically black colleges and universities joined more than 300 participants in the United States Student Association s National Grassroots Legislative Conference in Washington, DC, to advocate for the Voting Rights Amendment Act (VRAA) on Capitol Hill. Democracy Initiative organizations including

3 the NAACP, NAACP National Voter Fund, and CWA continued efforts in June to press members of the U.S. House and Senate for legislative action on the VRAA. The Democracy Initiative organized a patch-through call campaign reaching out to more than 10,000 members of endorsing organizations, asking them to urge Members of Congress to support and advance the stalled legislation. Our campaign ultimately resulted in several Republican Members supporting the VRAA. Although the legislation was blocked in the House, the DI and our partners built a strong network of activists and organizations committed to safeguarding the right to vote as a pillar of our democracy. Initiating a Volunteer Poll Monitoring Program In the wake of the Supreme Court s Shelby County v. Holder decision, which invalidated key sections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, monitoring polling places in communities with a history of discrimination has become more essential than at any time in the past 50 years. In response to this new challenge, a few weeks before the mid-term election, the Democracy Initiative hosted an innovative Tele-Town Hall meeting with more than 13,000 members of DI organizations in order to recruit citizen poll monitors. Hundreds of volunteers from our endorsing organizations signed on. Careful coordination with Common Cause, the NAACP, the State Voices network, and the Election Protection coalition ensured that our partners volunteers were connected to efforts on the ground on Election Day, focusing on communities especially vulnerable to discriminatory voting laws and practices. In 2015 we must expand the network of volunteers defending and expanding voting rights across the country. The Democracy for All Constitutional Amendment Democracy Initiative partners led by Common Cause, Free Speech for People, People for the American Way, and Public Citizen organized rallies, in-district meetings with Members of Congress, and editorial and letter-writing campaigns nationwide to awaken public interest in the need for an amendment to end the power of big money in elections. By networking with each other through their DI connections, our partners were able to extend their messages across a broader constituency and educate and mobilize many more people.

4 Uniting Communities of Interest to Fix the Senate Now In 2013, the Democracy Initiative s Fix the Senate Now campaign brought together policy communities and membership organizations that had previously worked independently on the broken nominations process, including consumer groups mobilizing for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau nominee Richard Cordray, civil rights groups and labor unions advocating for Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and National Labor Relations Board nominees; and environmental groups supporting confirmation of Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy. Under the overarching message of Senate gridlock, we made a million contacts, changed Senate rules, and urged legislators to move on hundreds of pending nominations. Democracy for All Amendment 2014 Campaign 3.2 Million Petition Signatures Millions of Americans signed petitions in support of changing the Consitution to enable regulation of money in politics. People For the American Way coordinated collection and petition delivery. 15,000+ Phone Calls to Senators CWA donated a toll-free number, and members of DI endorsing organizations generated more than 15,000 calls to Senate offices in the week leading up to the vote an average of 300 calls per office. In-District Events Public Citizen coordinated the organization of in-district events at Senators offices, and members of several DI organizations attended, which attracted media attention. Five Democrats who had not sponsored the amendment all committed to vote for it as a result. Op-ed Campaign Diverse and nontraditional voices were raised in support of reform through a large-scale op-ed campaign. Leaders of DI organizations in 10 states, including Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, contributed opinion pieces. Our strategy worked: The Senate rule change allowed a simple majority to determine whether a vote could happen for any administrative or judicial nominee, with the exception of Supreme Court What do Richard Boulware, nominees. The stalemate was a federal judge in Nevada; broken and 79 judges were Nina Pillard, a judge on the confirmed. The Hill newspaper U.S. Court of Appeals for hailed our campaign as the #3 Legislative Victory of 2013, and the D.C. Circuit; and Melvin The New Organizing Institute Watt, director of the Federal selected our campaign as one Housing Finance Agency, of the best of the year. The have in common? American Federation of Judges All are highly qualified has acknowledged that without the Democracy Initiative s backing and for their jobs. All bring to influence, the confirmation process their work outstanding would have remained thoroughly backgrounds in public dysfunctional. service. And none of them In 2014 we continued to beat would have been able to the drum for reform, but a small serve the American people handful of Senators insisted on in their current jobs if not obstructing nominations and for last year s reform of legislation. As 2014 comes to Senate rules. an end, there are still more than 150 pending nominations to judgeships, ambassadorships, Nan Aron President, Alliance for Justice and executive offices protecting

5 National Network for Democracy

6 Americans health, safety, and the environment. These are not insignificant matters. When executive posts are vacant, essential functions of government are threatened. When courts are understaffed, justice for citizens across the country is delayed. In 2015, the Democracy Initiative will fight against obstruction of the nomination and confirmation process. BROADENING THE MOVEMENT The Initiative is dedicated to nurturing grassroots, local, and state efforts to return government to the people, so from the start we have allied with and supported organizations and strategies outside Washington, DC. In New York and Delaware, for example, we supported critical battles against big money and in favor of ordinary voters. ORGANIZING FOR PUBLIC FINANCING IN NEW YORK In 2013, as a fledgling organization, we joined the New York Fair Elections Coalition to pass public financing legislation: Greenpeace activated its list; the Sierra Club mobilized members and encouraged 14 environmental organizations in the state to prioritize the bill; the NAACP hosted forums in New York City, linking public finance to improvements in fair housing; and CWA mobilized members to participate in calls, rallies, and lobbying days. Although the bill did not pass, the steady stream of pressure on elected officials in Albany contributed to the creation of the Moreland Commission on Public Corruption a vital first step. The Democracy Initiative has New York Governor Andrew broadened the scope of the Cuomo placed public financing money in politics movement, in his budget in 2014, and the bringing together allies Democracy Initiative worked with and activists from different the Fair Elections Coalition on corners fighting to limit the the ground to keep the cause in influence of money in the the headlines. We supported the leadership work of Citizen Action political process and raise the New York, the Working Families voices of everyday people. Party, and other key supporters of the reform. We hosted a series Nick Nyhart of calls and s on the status President & CEO, of the Fair Elections campaign, Public Campaign galvanizing national organizations and spurring s to more than 250,000 activists. These s prompted calls to Governor Cuomo, including personal calls from Richard Trumka of AFL-CIO, Bob King of UAW, and Larry Cohen of CWA. EDUCATING AMERICANS ABOUT MONEY IN POLITICS In the wake of the Supreme Court s decisions in Citizens United and McCutcheon v. FEC, which eroded long-standing laws regulating money in politics, the Democracy Initiative is building a nationwide network of activists who understand these complex issues and can work together toward solutions. Democracy Initiative organizations, along with the American Federation of Teachers, CWA, Demos, Greenpeace, Main Street Alliance, NAACP, OurTime.org, People for the American Way Foundation, Sierra Club, and U.S. PIRG joined together to present an amicus brief to the Court in the McCutcheon case. We were able to mount a strong amicus argument for limits on political contributions, and the

7 to rallies and events, and sent a letter signed by 22 organizations urging Delaware officials to expand voting rights to its residents. In addition, Democracy Initiative organizations urged their local members to call their state representatives to support same day registration, resulting in hundreds of calls and a strong show of support. Although this bill did not pass, the campaign will resume in full force next year when Delaware s House and Senate return for the 2015 legislative session. We will build on our 2014 successes, which include: The Democracy Initiative is fighting for millions of people who rightly want a say in our nation s democracy. Voting rights for African Americans and people of color are under attack. We are proud to stand with the Democracy Initiative as we jointly work to ensure elections are free, fair and accessible for ALL people. Penda Hair Co-Director, Advancement Project Mobilizing hundreds of citizens to call state representatives to advocate for same-day registration. The Center for Popular Democracy s phone bank was particularly effective, logging 616 calls in favor of the bill in the final days of the legislative session. organizations involved used the brief as an opportunity to educate their members about the topic and the case. In April, when the Court struck down limits on aggregate contributions to candidates, the Democracy Initiative helped spearhead and coordinate media coverage of many of the more than 150 rallies in 41 states organized to protest the Court s tacit endorsement of pay-to-play politics. In Washington, DC, the Initiative and many of its closest partners joined Senator Bernie Sanders (VT), Representative Keith Ellison (MN), and Representative Ted Deutsch (FL) on the steps of the Supreme Court to voice outrage at the McCutcheon decision. Advocating Same-Day Voter Registration in Delaware In 2014, Demos and the Center for Popular Democracy aided local organizations in attempting to expand voting rights in Delaware with a push for same-day voter registration throughout the state. Bringing together its allies and partners, the Democracy Initiative organized lobby visits to Delaware elected officials, brought supporters Supporting carefully targeted drive-time radio ads that reached thousands of listeners. Supporting our Center for Popular Democracy and NAACP partners events with clergy and African-American leaders. Embracing Innovative Projects Although many of our partners are seasoned veterans of campaigns for justice, equality, and democracy across organizations and issues, we all can learn from each other. Many are teeming with young, forwardthinking activists who will embrace new technologies and innovative projects to accomplish our goals. Launching the Strategic Intervention Fund This year the Democracy Initiative created a Strategic Intervention Fund designed as a rapid response mechanism to improve agility at the grassroots level. The Fund has supported nonpartisan voter education, nonpartisan election monitoring, and other activities that ensure all

8 voters are able to cast ballots on Election Day. For example: In Connecticut, we supported expanding voting opportunities beyond the in-person Election Day voting mandated (with limited exceptions) by the state constitution. In Maine, we supported the citizens fight to defend and improve their unique Maine Clean Election Act, which was endangered by recent Supreme Court decisions favoring privately funded candidates. Mobilizing via TeleTown Halls In response to the Supreme Court s 2013 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, the Democracy Initiative organized three groundbreaking TeleTown Halls. The first, From Outrage to Action, was hosted by the NAACP and gathered 18,000 activists nationwide, including leaders from CWA, Greenpeace, the National Council of La Raza, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, SEIU, and the Sierra Club. In 2014 the Initiative sponsored From Outrage to Action to Mobilization, educating 23,000 participants on the relevance of voting rights to the environmental, labor, LGBT, youth, business, and voting rights communities, and spurring them to reach out to elected officials to act to protect voting rights. And in October we hosted a pre-election TeleTown Hall to engage organizations in citizen poll monitoring for the upcoming election. Another innovative program initiated in 2014 was the virtual teachin hosted by MoveOn.org, Demos, and DI to educate thousands of Americans about the Supreme Court s Citizens United decision on The Democracy Initiative its fourth anniversary. is a movement that has the potential to mobilize Building Convergence millions of people around This year, the Democracy Initiative made major strides in efforts to the principle of political broaden our message and expand equality. We need to our audience for democracy. In empower voters with the June, Demos and the Democracy message that the right to Initiative convened leaders from vote is fundamental and our African-American, Latino, and democracy is not for sale. Asian Pacific Islander communities for a special pre-release discussion Cornell William Brooks of a new Demos report, Stacked President & CEO, NAACP Deck: How the Racial Bias in Our Big Money Political System Undermines Our Democracy and Our Economy. The gathering featured an advance briefing on the report for Democracy Initiative member organizations and integrated the issues of voting rights and money in politics. It united participants under broad democracy themes. The roundtable provided valuable feedback on the draft report and informed the Democracy Initiative s effort to build a more diverse, inclusive movement. Success through Convergence and Community The Democracy Initiative is building a new and powerful convergence of activists for democracy. We are building bridges among national organizations that will strengthen the base of support for a variety of state and federal efforts. In the long term, we will measure our success by building a movement of 50 million Americans with lasting, passionate support for restoring and sustaining democracy.

9 The Democracy Initiative 50 F Street NW, 8th Floor Washington, DC info@democracyinitiative.org (202)