4 Organizations To Help You Get More Politically Active
Being politically active isn't always easy. The news moves quickly, and it can be overwhelming to try to keep up with new laws and political figures. But being an informed voter is important if you want your voice to be heard in the U.S. Luckily, organizations like the ones listed here make it easier for people to join discussions, connect with diverse groups of passionate people, and change the world for the better. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
Political Groups That Work To Engage Voters
| Organization | Mission |
|---|---|
| Everyday Democracy | Support organizing across the country by bringing diverse groups of people together, helping them structure and facilitate community dialogue on pressing issues, and training them to use a racial equity lens to understand longstanding problems and possible solutions |
| The Tuesday Company | Build software that helps organizations strengthen relationships with supporters to drive community, activism, and fundraising |
| Journal of Democracy | Engage activists and intellectuals in critical discussions about democracy around the world |
| Democracy in Color | Build power by empowering the New American Majority through shining a light on and lifting up progressive people of color and whites, and calling for transparency and accountability from leaders |
Problems With American Democracy
- Gerrymandering
- Money in politics
- Systematic racism
- Uninformed voters
- Unequal representation in presidential elections
- Media bias
- Voter suppression
Voter Turnout In Presidential Elections
According to the United States Census Bureau
| Year | Total Voting Age Population (V.A.P.) | Votes Cast | Percentage of V.A.P. That Turned Out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 140,777,000 | 77,625,000 | 55.1% |
| 1976 | 152,308,000 | 81,603,000 | 53.6% |
| 1980 | 163,945,000 | 86,497,000 | 52.8% |
| 1984 | 173,995,000 | 92,655,000 | 53.3% |
| 1988 | 181,956,000 | 91,587,000 | 50.3% |
| 1992 | 189,493,000 | 104,600,000 | 55.2% |
| 1996 | 196,789,000 | 96,390,000 | 49.0% |
| 2000 | 209,787,000 | 105,594,000 | 50.3% |
| 2004 | 219,553,000 | 122,349,000 | 55.7% |
| 2008 | 229,945,000 | 131,407,000 | 57.1% |
How Voter Suppression Puts Racism Before Democracy
In Depth
Democracy's promise - a government that works for the people - can only be fulfilled if ordinary citizens exercise their political power. To encourage participation in the democratic process, a number of organizations have stepped up to provide informational and practical resources, making it easier for average voters to organize and get involved. In no particular order, we present four groups promoting informed engagement with the workings of politics.
Leading off at #1 is Everyday Democracy, a project of the Paul J. Aicher Foundation that catalyzes political organizing throughout the country. By facilitating dialogue between disparate groups on critical issues, and offering a framework for developing solutions, the organization helps advocates for change move from discussion to action. Their many informational resources, which detail effective strategies for overcoming the practical challenges of activism, assist organizers in scaling up efforts on behalf of their communities.
Much of Everyday Democracy's work addresses racial equity, believing that longstanding ethnic divisions must be bridged in order for communities to unite effectively. Other important areas of focus include promoting early childhood development, fighting against poverty, and improving relationships between neighborhoods and police. They also emphasize the importance of youth engagement, seeking to cultivate the next generation of leaders. Individuals interested in supporting these efforts can donate online, and organizations can inquire about becoming anchor partners in Everyday Democracy's network.
Individuals interested in supporting these efforts can donate online, and organizations can inquire about becoming anchor partners in Everyday Democracy's network.
Next up at #2 is The Tuesday Company, which builds software designed to help political organizations engage effectively with supporters. Their flagship program is Team, an app that lets organizers, activists, and passionate individuals create networks for electoral success. Founded on the belief that the digital age calls for an updated campaigning model, the company seeks to develop powerful outreach tools, and put them in the hands of the people working to support representative democracy.
Created in the wake of the 2016 election, The Tuesday Company aims to empower strategists, volunteers, and ordinary voters to connect and act strategically. Their staff are passionate about getting people to the polls and to the streets in support of progressive causes, and they view 2018's midterm shift in the House of Representatives as a demonstration of Team's ability to potentiate grassroots organizing. Through their online platforms, they also share tactics and strategies for using new media to achieve electoral victory.
#3 on the list is the Journal of Democracy, a publication examining the theory and practice of popular governance. Begun in 1990, it has brought together leading thinkers and activists to discuss the global future of democratic systems, and the threats facing electoral politics worldwide. The organization continues to serve as a major hub for critical thinking about the most pressing political, cultural, and socioeconomic issues that imperil human rights and the rule of law. It is the most consulted journal on Project MUSE, and a leading publication in its field.
It is the most consulted journal on Project MUSE, and a leading publication in its field.
In addition to essays centered on particular topics or nations, the Journal publishes articles examining every region of the planet. Each issue also features reviews of recent books relevant to the field, reports on elections, and news and quotes regarding efforts to promote democracy around the world. Along with the periodical it issues each month, the organization produces a series of books which discuss important and revealing developments in democratic governance. The Journal is a creation of the National Endowment for Democracy, and is published by The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Our final entry, #4, is Democracy in Color, an organization which aims to ensure that the American political establishment is responsive to the voices of all races and segments of the population. Their work seeks to highlight and amplify progressive advocates from diverse backgrounds, and to call on the nation's leaders to address historic and ongoing injustices. The group believes that the future of national politics rests with what they call the New American Majority, a coalition of engaged and informed voters that spans ethnic, gender, and generational divides.
The organization produces the Democracy in Color podcast, which hosts frank discussions about effective strategies for mobilizing and organizing progressive voters. Their Return of the Majority plan, grounded in political and demographic analysis of the American electorate, offers a strategic vision for Democratic victories. Democracy in Color was created by Steve Phillips, the bestselling author of Brown Is the New White, a book which discusses the multiracial future of the nation's voting public. Supporters can donate to the group's programs online.
