Democracy depends on an informed and engaged citizenry. This means that people have access to accurate information, a shared commitment to self-government, and a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect them. It rests on majority rule that is constrained by the equal rights of the minority, and the rule of law.
Or, as Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government."
This library examines the legal decisions, economic and epistemic changes, technologies, and public policies that have weakened that voice — and considers practical ways to restore it.
The Citizens United decision made it easier for concentrated wealth to exercise political power. But that decision is only the latest chapter in an American argument that started before the Revolution: Who gets heard, who makes the rules, and who does the government actually work for?