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Since the 117th Congress was convened on January 3, over 2,000 bills have been introduced in the House and Senate. But the very first legislation proposed by the Democratic Party majorities in both chambers making it both H.R.1 and S.1 is the For the People Act of 2021.

This is appropriate, because the For the People Act is plausibly the most important legislation considered by Congress in decades. It would change the basic structure of U.S. politics, making it far more small-d democratic. The bill makes illegal essentially all of the anti-enfranchisement tactics perfected by the right over the past decades. It then creates a new infrastructure to permanently bolster the influence of regular people.

The bills provisions largely fall into three categories: First, it makes it far easier to vote, both by eliminating barriers and enhancing basic outreach to citizens. Second, it makes everyones vote count more equally, especially by reducing gerrymandering. Third, it hugely amplifies the power of small political donors, allowing them to match and possibly swamp the power of big money.

Theres a popular, weary American aphorism (often attributed to the anarchist Emma Goldman, although she apparently did not say it): If voting could change anything, it would be made illegal. The meaning is always taken to be that voting is pointless.

However, the past decades of U.S. politics demonstrate that this saying is accurate but in fact its meaning is exactly the opposite. We can gauge how much voting can change important things by the lengths to which Americas conservatives have gone to make voting difficult for the wrong people.

The For the People Act would require states with voter ID requirements to allow people to vote without identification if they complete a sworn statement attesting that they are who they say they are. It would make it impossible for states to engage in bogus purging of voter rolls. States could no longer stop people with felony convictions from voting after theyve served their time and would be required to inform them in writing that they now can vote again.

The act would then create what the U.S. has never had: a functioning, modern voting infrastructure. America is almost alone in its bizarre, two-step process in which citizens must register to vote, and then vote. And only two-thirds of the U.S. voting age population is in fact registered. In comparable countries, voting registration is automatic: You dont have to do anything first, you just show up and vote. The For the People Act would make voter registration near-automatic here too, and anyone who fell through the cracks would be able to register and vote on Election Day.

America is almost alone in its bizarre, two-step process in which citizens must register to vote, and then vote.

The bill would also require states to allow a minimum of two weeks of early voting, for a minimum of 10 hours a day. All eligible voters could vote by mail for any reason. And to ensure voters can be confident that elections are secure and that their votes will count, all states would be required to conduct elections via paper ballot.

Thanks to Republican success at creating gerrymandered congressional districts, Democrats can win the majority of the popular congressional vote in many states while only garnering a minority of the states seats in the House of Representatives. With the once-every-10-years redistricting coming, and the GOPs 2020 success in state legislatures that control redistricting, the situation is set to become even more lopsided and fundamentally unfair. If nothing changes, its almost certain that Democrats will lose the House majority in the 2022 midterms, even if they get the most votes.

The For the People Act would head this off at the pass, requiring states to create independent commissions to conduct redistricting.

While its forgotten now, Watergate was, among other things, a campaign finance scandal. The bill of particulars supporting President Richard Nixonsarticles of impeachment mentioned the chair of the board of McDonalds bribing his reelection campaign with $200,000, in return for permission to raise the price of the companys Quarter Pounder cheeseburger.

Shortly after Nixons resignation, Congress passed extensive campaign finance reforms, which placed limits on contributions to campaigns as well as campaign expenditures. The Supreme Court struck down the limits on campaign expenditures in 1976. Then the Citizens United case in 2010 and related decisions made unlimited contributions possible to super PACs, as long as everyone pretended the super PACs and formal campaigns were separate and uncoordinated.

The For the People Act accepts that it will be difficult to reverse these decisions for the immediate future and addresses the problem from the opposite direction. Instead of placing limits on big money, it multiplies the power of small money.

Under the bill, candidates for congressional office could opt into a system that would provide matching funds for small donations. To qualify, the candidate would need to raise $50,000 from at least 1,000 individuals; take no more than $1,000 from any contributor; and spend no more than $50,000 of their own money.

In return, all donations to the candidate up to $200 would be matched with public funds at a 6 to 1 ratio. Thus if you gave $10 to someone running for Congress, they would receive that plus another $60, totaling $70.

Right now, says Rep. John Sarbanes, it is only worth a candidates time to attend a fundraising event if they will receive at least $10,000 in contributions.

Maryland Democratic Rep. John Sarbanes, the House sponsor of the For the People Act, has explained based on his own experience and what hes witnessed of his colleagues behavior how this would change the core incentives for politicians. Right now, says Sarbanes, it is only worth a candidates time to attend a fundraising event if they will receive at least $10,000 in contributions. Theres therefore no point in going to a house party with 30 constituents each ponying up $50 for a total of $1,500. Instead, theyll head to events organized by D.C. lobbyists, who will each write big checks.

But with 6 to 1 matching funds, the same constituent house party would generate $10,500 $1,500 from individuals, $9,000 from the government (also known as the people) suddenly making it worth a politicians while. Thats not all, however: Sarbanes points out that from a candidates perspective, such an event would actually be more valuable than a K Street fundraiser, because attendees can vote, they can donate, they can volunteer, they can rope their friends in. Youre creating an active, engaged group of people around your campaign. That can be worth 2 to 3 points, thats the difference in a close election.

So this would make it possible for candidates to spend their time with actual voters and listen to their concerns and needs to a far greater degree than they do now. But it should also have a significant effect on voters themselves. Right now, non-billionaires are well aware that their vote or $25 contribution has little impact on politicians. Why bother participating at all? But if you and each of your friends can turn $25 into a $175 contribution, political participation is suddenly much more rational.

This is especially true because the bills matching funds would also be available for primary campaigns. This would greatly erode the safety of incumbents and give normal people many more opportunities to participate in genuinely competitive elections.

The For the People Act also includes a huge number of other positive measures. It would reform the Federal Election Commission, which is now all but toothless, letting campaigns commit obvious violations of the law. It would lessen the power of super PACs. It would create a code of ethics for the nine Supreme Court justices, something which, incredibly enough, has never existed in U.S. history.

If the bill passes with its main provisions intact, a new era could dawn with a creative, lively, nationwide progressive movement. (Conversely, those provisions would also empower authentic grassroots conservative movements, if any truly exist.) Policies supported by the majority of Americans on health care, the climate crisis, taxes, unionization could finally become law. Millions of new people could be permanently drawn into public life, because they would see in concrete ways that their involvement could change the country.

Without such a law empowering democracy, its unlikely any of that will ever happen. And the Democratic majority in the House will almost certainly be extinguished in the 2022 midterms, blocking the bill for the foreseeable future.

Its difficult to believe, based on its lamentable history of squabbling and in-fighting, that the Democratic Party will manage to hang together and pass a significant bill thats both in their own obvious self-interest and in that of the country. But stranger things have happened, such as the fact that the For the People Act has gotten this far in the first place.

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The For the People Act Would Make the U.S. a Democracy - The Intercept

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The health of American democracy requires strategic investment in community-led solutions that combat political violence and mitigate its cost to society according to a new report released today by Democracy Fund.

The Costs of Political Violence in the United States And the Benefits of Investing in Communities examines the human and economic harm caused by politically motivated acts of violence and the peace-building strategies that prevent, respond to, and support recovery from hate crimes, terrorism, extremism, armed protests, and excessive use of force by law enforcement.

"When political violence happens, it is right and proper that we first focus on the human cost, that is the loss of life and physical injury, said the reports author Andrew Blum, PhD, executive director of the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego. In the aftermath of these incidents, however, communities also wrestle with significant economic costs, including the radiating impact of grief and trauma, damage to property and lost revenue resulting from the disruption of economic activity. There is much that can and must be done to mitigate these impacts, he says.

Following the Boston Marathon bombing, it is estimated that the city lost between $250 million and $330 million when it shut down for one day due to the manhunt for the bombers. In Portland, one 2019 riot cost downtown businesses over $3 million in lost revenue.1 And the psychological costs are also great: the Virginia Tech attack created roughly 600 cases of PTSD, which could add up to about $4 million in potential treatment costs for just one year.

The report argues that funders committed to strengthening American democracy can provide the antidote to political violence by investing in whole-of-society solutions and the infrastructure of collaboration that builds community resilience in six key areas: engaged leadership, social trust, social relationships, preparedness, place attachment (when members care about their community), and collective efficacy (when members believe they can change their community for the better).

The insurrection on January 6th showed us just how serious the threat of political violence has become, said Joe Goldman, president of Democracy Fund. Our democracy demands not just accountability for the many costs, but a stronger dedication to the long-term work of preventing violence in the first place by creating strong, connected communities.

For more information and to download the full research report and accompanying infographic, visit https://democracyfund.org/costs-of-political-violence.

To request an interview with the reports author Dr. Andrew Blum or with Nadia Firozvi, associate director for the Just and Inclusive Society Project at Democracy Fund, contact Arron Neal at 213-568-3334 or arron@mission.partners.

ABOUT DEMOCRACY FUND

Democracy Fund is a foundation working to defend American democracy and challenge it to be more open and just. Created by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar, Democracy Fund has made more than $150 million in grants to support free and fair elections, a vibrant and diverse public square, effective and accountable government, and a just and inclusive society. In addition to grantmaking, Democracy Fund advocates for better solutions and works with partners to grow philanthropic support for our democracy. To learn more, visit http://www.democracyfund.org.

_________________1 Shane Dixon Kavanaugh, Portland Proud Boys, Antifa Protests Cost Downtown Biz $3M, Group Says, OregonLive, August 21, 2019, sec. Oregon News, Accessed November 1, 2020. Available at: https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2019/08/portlands-proud-boys-antifa-protests-cost-downtown-biz-3m-group-says.html.

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New Democracy Fund Report Analyzes Human and Economic Costs of Political Violence; Calls for Philanthropic Investment in Evidence-Based, Community-Led...

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Port-au-Prince this week, with plumes of black smoke from burning tires and flags seen in the capital city, as well as white clouds of tear gas. At least two journalists were injured, a witness told CNN.

"I heard people saying I'm a dictator, but I want to be clear; I have a mandate for five years and I will finish my term," Moise said in a televised speech on Sunday.

Moise has ruled by decree since letting the parliament's mandate expire in January 2020. "Jovenel Moise destroyed every institution, from the parliament to local government. It is clear what he wanted to do. Unfortunately, we have an international community who don't support the fight against this corrupt dictator," opposition leader and former senator Nenel Cassy told CNN.

Moise's office declined to comment directly for this story, instead referring questions to Haiti's ambassador to the US.

Haiti's opposition has called for a three day "general uprising" this weekend. It will be the latest in a succession of anti-government demonstrations that have marked Moise's term, fueled by anger over Haiti's foundering economy, a sweeping corruption scandal and surging criminal violence.

A president accused of dismantling democracy

Haiti's democratic institutions have been crippled under Moise, who has not organized parliamentary or local elections, leaving the legislative branch of government largely vacant and powerless. His new order for judges from Haiti's highest court to retire now deals a blow to the country's judicial branch.

"President Moise did not remove the judges. He only asked them to exercise their right to retire," Haiti's Ambassador to the US, Bocchit Edmond, told CNN.

Judge Jean Wilner Morin, President of the National Association of Haitian Judges, explains to CNN that the President has no constitutional authority to unilaterally retire a judge, or appoint a new one.

"One cannot remove a judge in the course of his term. It is impossible. Therefore the decision to remove three judges from the Supreme Court by the President of the Republic, the order given by the president, is an illegal and unconstitutional order."

Without a functioning legislature, though, who is left to challenge the move?

In the coming year, critics fear that yet another blow to Haiti's democracy could take the form of changes to the constitution, which Moise sees as his legacy project. The new constitution, aimed to further empower the presidency, will go to a referendum in April and only afterward will elections to fill parliamentary, mayoral and other posts follow.

"The new constitution will guarantee when a president is elected they can do the job they were elected to do," Mose said in his Sunday speech.

Backed by foreign support

Haiti's political opposition say that that Moise completed his constitutionally mandated five-year term on Sunday and is now illegally occupying his office. But the President argues that he deserves more time because although he was elected in 2016, he was only sworn in 2017.

A Constitutional Court could issue a definitive ruling on this. The problem, as Morin points out, is that such a court only exists in theory.

"Haiti's 1987 constitution provides for this constitutional court but it has never actually been created and that's why today we find ourselves in a situation where the president says his term ends in 2022 and the political opposition says it ends in 2021," he says.

"If (Moise) wants to stay in power, he must find a political consensus with other political actors and civil society," he added.

In the court's absence, Haiti's national bar association and its Superior Council of Judiciary Power (CSPJ) a powerful body that appoints, fires, and disciplines judges have sided with the opposition, in calling for Moise to step down.

Such support is key to Moise's continuation in office, said Nicole Phillips, a law professor at the University of California, Hastings and Universit de la Foundation Dr. Aristide (UNIFA) in Port-au-Prince.

She describes US endorsement of the president's stance, despite his erosion of democratic norms, as a short-sighted campaign to keep Haiti in stasis in the immediate term "as opposed to figuring out policies in the long term that will actually sustain democracy and justice in Haiti."

"The international bodies are not following Haitian constitutional experts and legal bodies in their interpretation," she said. "You have Haitian constitutional scholars as well as the CSPJ and the federal bar association who are making their interpretations and the international community doesn't care."

Without support from Haiti's powerful neighbor, efforts to form any transitional government will hold little clout while Moise retains control of the country's police and military.

Edmond, the ambassador, argues there would be nothing democratic about appointing a transitional government, and urges observers at home and abroad to wait for the next general elections to select a new president to take office in 2022.

"Transitional governments have never been useful to Haiti," he said. "It's really important to strengthen the democratic process, and to make sure that a democratically elected president is replaced by another democratically elected one."

But with an emboldened president, no functioning legislature and only a partial Supreme Court, the question is whether Haiti's shaky democracy can make it until then.

Read more from the original source:
Is there a democratic solution to Haiti's current crisis? - CNN

This is not even about Donald Trump any more. Its about a Republican party that has lost its way, forgotten its core values, and kicked American democracy in the guts.

Its about justice, common sense, and honour, and how they were trampled deep into the churned-up ground of Capitol Hill by a mob of liars and dissemblers who call themselves GOP senators.

Its about how a nation, most favoured on earth, that cast itself as a shining light in enveloping darkness discovered it had feet of clay and laws that did not stand.

Just imagine how this latest impeachment travesty which, despite its last-minute twists and turns, has resulted in acquittal is viewed in Pyongyang, Minsk, Damascus and other hangouts of dictators, autocrats and war criminals.

Myanmars generals, universally reviled for this months coup, might be forgiven for asking: why is your insurrection so much more excusable than ours?

Vladimir Putin, struggling to get past the Navalny conspiracy and Black Sea palace corruption scandal, has been handed a lifeline by Ted Cruz and the rest, abetted by Trumps third-choice hack lawyers.

If an American president can behave like this and get away with it, then whos to say what Putins mafia cronies get up to is so very bad? This is the Trumpists morally repugnant, relativist argument.

And talking of morality, where are those legions of God-fearing, Trump-worshipping Christian fundamentalists when you really need to draw a line between right and wrong? Praying for the second coming of Mike Pompeo, perhaps.

Xi Jinping is not a man who jokes a lot. Global domination is a serious business, after all. It takes a toll. But even Chinas big cheese must have cracked a smile as democracy took a beating and the world turned upside down.

Everyone likes a Houdini act. Trumps performance is the political equivalent of going over Niagara Falls in a barrel weighted down by redundant Fox News anchors.

We know about Chinas rise. But Americas fall?

Trump never respected the US constitution. His second impeachment has made a mockery of that hallowed text. Ironically, he claimed it was unconstitutional. Hes the expert.

Yet Senate Republicans did not have to follow him over the cliff. Where do they go from here? Who knows? To an all-night bar perhaps, slurping down Kentucky mint juleps in honour of Mitch McConnell.

Its about them now. Senior GOP leaders the Gain Over Principle party are discredited beyond redemption. With a handful of exceptions, they abandoned their sworn duty. They gave America the finger.

They should all be impeached, too. Except they would acquit themselves.

Read more from the original source:
Republicans have betrayed American democracy and boosted the world's dictators - The Guardian

After abuses of power often come opportunities for reform. The attack on the U.S. Capitol, spurred by President Trump's big lie about the election, highlights the importance of holding those responsible to account, shoring up institutional guardrails, and taking action to revitalize democracy.Impeachment, oversight, and criminal prosecution are all on the table. Landmark legislation to restore institutional checks against abuses of power, strengthen voting rights, and deter corruption are among the most urgent priorities for lawmakers in the coming months. Speaking with CNN senior political reporterNia-Malika Henderson, the co-chairs of the Brennan Center for Justice's National Task Force on Rule of Law and Democracy,Preet BhararaandChristine Todd Whitman, will joinMichael SteeleandMichael Waldmanto discuss the reforms needed to bolster American democracy.

Co-presented by the Brennan Center for Justice and The New York Public Library.

LIVE from NYPL is made possible by the support of Library patrons and friends, as well as by the continuing generosity of Celeste Bartos, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos, and the Margaret and Herman Sokol Public Education Endowment Fund.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Preet Bhararaserved as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 2009 to 2017. Bharara oversaw the investigation and litigation of all criminal and civil cases and supervised an office of over 200 Assistant U.S. Attorneys, who handled cases involving terrorism, narcotics and arms trafficking, financial and healthcare fraud, cybercrime, public corruption, organized crime, and civil rights violations.The New York Timesdubbed Bharara one of "the nation's most aggressive and outspoken prosecutors." In 2017, Bharara joined the NYU School of Law faculty as a Distinguished Scholar in Residence. He is the co-founder of CAFE Studios and the host of CAFE's Stay Tuned with Preet, a podcast focused on issues of justice and fairness. Bharara graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and from Columbia Law School, where he was a member of the law review. He is the author ofaNew York Timesbestselling book,Doing Justice: A Prosecutor's Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law.

Nia-Malika Hendersonis a senior political reporter for CNN, reporting on politics, policies, and people shaping Washington. Henderson reports for the network's digital and television platforms, and regularly appears as a panelist for CNN'sInside Politics,The Situation Roomwith Wolf Blitzer andCNN Tonightwith Don Lemon. She also often serves as a fill-in anchor forInside Politics. Henderson graduated from Duke University with a bachelor's degree in literature and cultural anthropology and earned master's degrees from Yale University in American studies and Columbia University in journalism.

Michael Steeleis a political analyst for MSNBC and the host of theMichael Steele Podcast. When elected lieutenant governor of Maryland in 2003, Steele became the first African American elected to statewide office. He again made history when he was named chairman of the Republican National Committee in 2009. He is the author ofRight Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agendaand coauthor ofThe Recovering Politicians Twelve Step Program to Survive Crisis. Born at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince Georges County, Maryland, Steele was raised in Washington, DC. Upon graduating from Johns Hopkins University, he entered the Order of St. Augustine, where studied for the priesthood. He is a graduate of Georgetown Law Center, an Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership, and a University of Chicago Institute of Politics Fellow.

Michael Waldmanis the president of the Brennan Center for Justice. A constitutional lawyer and voting rights expert, Michael has ledthe Center's policymaking and litigation since 2005. He is the author ofThe Fight to Vote(2016), a history of the struggle to win voting rights for all citizens. Prior to leading the Center, Michael served as director of speechwriting for President Bill Clinton. He is a graduate of NYU School of Law and Columbia College.

Christine Todd Whitmanis President of the Whitman Strategy Group, a consulting firm specializing in environmental and energy issues. She served in the cabinet of President George W. Bush as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from 2001 to 2003, and was Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001. During her time in government, she gained bipartisan support and was widely praised for championing common-sense environmental improvements. Gov. Whitman is involved in numerous national nonprofit organizations focused on legal and environmental causes, including the American Security Project, the National Institute for Civil Discourse, the Climate Leadership Council, and the National World War II Museum. She is a graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts.

This program will be streamed on Zoom and simulcast to YouTube. You must register with your email address in order to receive the link to participate. Please check your email shortly before the discussion to receive the link. Captions for this event will be provided.

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After the Insurrection: How to Build a More Resilient Democracy - brennancenter.org