The Democracy Network
 | |
| Formation | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Legal status | Unincorporated nonprofit association |
| Purpose | Nonpartisan grassroots movement fighting to preserve American democracy. |
| Location |
|
Director | Rohan Menon[1] |
| Website | www |
The Democracy Network is an unincorporated nonprofit association that advocates against voter suppression and gerrymandering in the United States.[2] The group describes itself as a "nonpartisan grassroots movement."[1]
About[edit]
Founding[edit]
The Democracy Network was founded in early 2021 in response to what it viewed as escalating voter suppression across the United States.[1] Constructed as a grassroots organization, the group's initial focus was raising awareness about policies it considered damaging to the American electoral system. The founding of the Democracy Network coincided with a surge in voting rights advocacy groups formed in the aftermath of the 2020 United States presidential election.[3][4] Although many of the groups formed in this surge were avowedly "progressive," this group was unique in its insistence that it was nonpartisan. Indeed, the group's slogan asserts that "[t]he fight to uphold democracy is American, not partisan."[2][1]
Activities[edit]
The group's website discloses three main forms of political activity that the group engages in. To summarize, the group's main activities include raising awareness, advocating for policy changes, and providing a platform for individuals interested in voting rights to have their message amplified.
The Democracy Update[edit]
At the core of the group's awareness-raising campaign is The Democracy Update, a "periodic newsletter that shines a light on threats to American democracy as they develop."[1] The newsletter, along with other materials published by the group, ultimately reach thousands of readers.[1] In performing that function, the group joins the ranks of numerous other organizations and individuals also attempting to call attention to perceived threats to voting rights within the United States.[5][6][7]
The Democracy Update differs from many other voter-suppression awareness campaigns in its aim to provide an ongoing account of specific voter suppression actions throughout the United States "as they develop," rather than in the aggregate and in the aftermath.[1] The group's past newsletters, however, are not all publicly archived, meaning that they do not provide a permanent record of past voter suppression as some other groups aim to do.[8]
Advocacy[edit]
The Democracy Network also engages in political advocacy. In particular, the group states that one of its "primary activities" is "direct outreach" to elected government officials, in the form of written correspondence and face-to-face meetings.[1] Principally, voting rights activists—including those at the Democracy Network—have focused their outreach on federal officials, who they believe can legislate to expand voting rights protections nationwide.[9] Critics, however, have contended that many of the measures being considered at the federal level would be unconstitutional.[10][11][12] Proponents of these bills, on the other hand, argue that they are both constitutional and constitutionally necessary.[1][13]
Positions[edit]
The group has taken public positions on multiple voting rights issues. Among other things, the group has stated its opposition to what it calls "extreme gerrymandering" and "voter suppression."[1] The group has previously argued that eligible voters should be enabled to vote with minimal inconvenience. The Democracy Network is not alone in advocating that position. Indeed, a number of other advocacy groups have taken a similar position, although details and specific policy preference, along with advocacy approach, differ markedly from group to group.[14]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 "About". The Democracy Network. Retrieved 23 August 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Updates on the state of democracy across the United States". The Democracy Network. Retrieved 23 August 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Montellaro, Zach. "Biden-aligned nonprofit launches voting rights initiative". POLITICO. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
- ↑ Sara Murray. "Progressive groups launch $30 million effort to push voting rights legislation". CNN. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
- ↑ "Voter Suppression Awareness". Fair Fight. Retrieved 23 August 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Block the Vote: How Politicians are Trying to Block Voters from the Ballot Box". ACLU. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "How Sports Celebrities In 2020 are Raising Awareness of Voter Suppression". Novelly. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
- ↑ "The Latest". Democracy Docket. Retrieved 23 August 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Fredreka Schouten. "'Time for action:' Voting and civil rights groups intensify pressure on Biden and Congress to move on federal election bills". CNN. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
- ↑ Snead, David B. Rivkin Jr and Jason (2021-02-16). "Opinion | An Unconstitutional Voting 'Reform'". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
- ↑ "Opinion | Democrats' big voting bill is constitutional vandalism". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
- ↑ "'Partly Constitutional' Isn't Enough: Senate Should Reject the 'For the People Act'". www.cato.org. Retrieved 2021-08-23. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 221; 201. "The For the People Act: Separating Fact from Fiction | Brennan Center for Justice". www.brennancenter.org. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
- ↑ "Voter ID 101: The Right to Vote Shouldn't Come With Barriers". Indivisible. 2018-10-08. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
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