Our work to strengthen democracy and improve the process of governing focuses on:
Increasing Civic and Political Participation
Lasting social change depends upon the ability of people to help shape the policies that affect their lives. Yet for some, such as racial minorities, immigrants and the working poor, barriers to meaningful participation in civic and political life persist. Our work focuses on increasing the participation of marginalized communities by strengthening organizations and networks that build and mobilize the grassroots base for social change. We also support leadership development initiatives and alliances that unite diverse constituencies and issues to achieve greater impact.
John Kowal, Director
Strengthening Civil Society
Robust civic associations can serve as catalysts for social change. Yet, in some countries, nongovernmental organizations lack the legal basis for registration and operation, regulatory frameworks are fragile and the very legitimacy of the sector itself is constantly questioned. In the United States and other established democracies, regulation has come in the form of new laws that target the nonprofit sector's tax benefits and funding streams, and restrict its right to organize and advocate. Our work seeks to strengthen civic organizations and the infrastructure that supports them. We support policy development to create a legal framework in which civil society can flourish and professional development to enhance the ability of these organizations to function at the highest levels of effectiveness and accountability.
John Kowal, Director
Promoting Electoral Reform and Democratic Participation
In the United States, millions of people are routinely excluded from democratic participation through failures in the census, redistricting and elections processes. Each decade, the census fails to accurately count communities of color, immigrants, low-income and other marginalized populations; an estimated 4.5 million people were missed in the 2000 census. With census data used to both allocate public resources and draw legislative districts, the impact on these communities can be severe. Public funds and services may not be directed to communities that need them most, while flawed legislative districting can leave these communities underrepresented. Furthermore, the elections system is neither designed nor administered to ensure every citizen's right to vote, often excluding society's most vulnerable members. We support efforts to eliminate barriers to democratic participation in the United States by ensuring that census, redistricting and elections systems are fair and inclusive. These efforts include increasing public understanding of the issues at stake; directly engaging excluded communities in reform efforts; and supporting groups that work to strengthen and enforce the law.
John Kowal, Director
Promoting Transparent, Effective and Accountable Government
Half of the world's population now lives in democratic societies, but government neglect, corruption and lack of transparency continue to hinder efforts to implement policies needed to improve people's lives. To ensure that governments protect the rights of all people and are responsive to their needs, we support community-driven efforts to improve the transparency and integrity of government institutions and processes; encourage broad participation in establishing public priorities and policies; and promote effective implementation and oversight of public programs.
John Kowal, Director
Reforming Global Financial Governance
One of the primary lessons of the global financial crisis is that financial markets need the oversight of democratic institutions to ensure transparency and accountability. The rules governing international trade and financial markets are set by a small group of nations and institutions, offering little opportunity for participation of communities most affected by its decisions. The result is a global financial system that is unresponsive to the inequities of economic globalization. To help democratize global financial governance systems, we support efforts to reform key global institutions to make them more transparent, accountable and effective in delivering financial security. This includes developing alternative governance structures, bringing new voices to global public dialogue and building broad alliances — with academic partners, advocacy groups, global organizations and national governments — to ensure that these institutions advance the public good.
John Kowal, Director