The concerted effort to politicize our election results, young people's pessimistic view of democracy, and hear from Unite America founder Charlie Wheelan
Here at the global headquarters of Unite America in Denver, Colorado, we’re seeing a month of record highs, as our usually chilly fall has transformed into one of 60 and 70 degree weather.
Out west, where we’re plagued by drought, extreme heat, and raging wildfires, it’s hard to ignore the rapid onslaught of climate change symptoms that’s making our home more and more uninhabitable. When days of wearing shorts and t-shirts in November become too disorienting, what helps me most is knowing that fixing our broken political system is the highest leverage fix we have. The work of Unite America to put voters first by fostering a more representative and functional government is key to solving the big issues facing our nation.
Here are three things to think about this week:
This week, the Washington Post published a chilling report on an effort happening across the country to stack election positions — ranging from volunteer poll watchers to secretaries of state — with Trump-aligned individuals who not only disagree with the 2020 presidential outcome, but would actively support overturning it.
It is a dangerously anti-democratic wave that threatens to undermine every inch of our political system. Individuals who seek not only to politicize the election outcomes, but more problematically, to cast their own political biases onto democratic election results pose a very real threat to Americans' confidence and faith in our democratic systems. Read the full piece here.
In a new poll from the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, 52% of respondents 18 - 29 had a pessimistic view of our democracy, believing that our democracy was either in decline or failing. Meanwhile, 70% of Republicans and 45% of Democrats held the same view: our democracy is in trouble.
To paraphrase Unite America advisor Danielle Allen, our democracy is the most important inheritance we have to provide to the next generation. Ensuring that the next generation not only understands the benefits of our democracy, but knows that it can solve the problems we face is vital to ensuring its success in the future. It’s why we must continue to push for reforms that make our political system more representative, and more functional. Read the poll overview here.
An exciting event invite for you: next week, Big Tent USA — an organization dedicated to empowering women to become active and engaged in our democracy — is hosting Unite America co-founder Charlie Wheelan as a featured speaker as part of their spotlight event.
Charlie — who in addition to founding Unite America, and writing the book The Centrist Manifesto — is an author, economist, and all around swell individual. Be sure to catch his talk by RSVPing here.
