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150 Days to Restore American Democracy 150 Days to Restore American Democracy 150 Days to Restore American Democracy 150 Days to Restore American Democracy American democracy is in crisis. But there is opportunity in crisis. The next 150 days present a once in a lifetime opportunity to restore and revitalize our democratic institutions. We must mobilize the democracy reform movement as never before to pass the For the People Act and build momentum for ongoing anti-corruption and anti-authoritarian policy reforms on the local, state and national levels. For those who study American democracy, January 6 was not a surprise. It was the result of 50 years of deepening political system failure. Today, the unexpected Democratic party trifecta, combined with the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, have created an opportunity to pass the most impactful democracy reform legislation in American history. Containing some 80% of the policies that comprise our American Anti- Corruption Act, we have a realistic shot at passing the For The People Act, ending federal gerrymandering, voter suppression, dark money, super PAC abuse, election insecurity, presidential conflicts of interest, and other major threats to our democracy in one fell swoop. The reforms would transform American politics by shifting political incentives towards integrity, moderation, and compromise, ultimately forcing Trump’s radicalized factions of the GOP to abandon extremism and authoritarianism or face demise. We have a window of roughly 150 days — until July — to pass this bill. History shows that major change immediately follows major upheaval, and there likely will not be another chance of this magnitude in our lifetimes. And we have only a little more time to simultaneously punish and subvert the burgeoning authoritarianism of a growing number of state and federal elected officials and candidates as they move to undermine voting rights. In addition, major federal victories are the best way to expand and accelerate movements for social change. A victory on the For the People Act will inspire democracy reform activists across the country to double down on their commitment to our democracy and continue the fight for needed reforms. Passing proactive policies at the state and local level builds on federal efforts, serves as a bulwark against immediate authoritarian action, and grows the foundation of a long- term pro-democracy infrastructure. There has never been a higher ROI opportunity to fix democracy, and we need your help. We must raise $16.4 million immediately – $3 million has already been raised toward the $19.4 million budget – to execute the strategy outlined below: to pass sweeping federal reforms that will transform American politics; stop the most dangerous attacks on democracy, and continue to seed and pass long- term state and local reforms. 150 DAYS TO RESTORE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY | PAGE 2 This document outlines our 2021 strategy and priorities as follows: • Programs: Below we include one-page strategic overviews of our four core programs: Federal Offense (focused on the For The People Act); State Defense (combating gerrymandering and voter suppression); State Offense (campaigns to win state-based reform); and Movement Building. • Analysis: Each program description is accompanied by a strategic analysis. In closing, we provide historical and contextual explanations supporting democracy reform’s return on investment and timing. Over the past eight years, RepresentUs has built and optimized the assets, expertise, and programs necessary to immediately put funds to swift and effective use. • In 2012, we pioneered comprehensive reform with the American Anti Corruption Act. • From 2013-2020, we supported and led 124 pro-democracy victories in states across America. • In the treacherous runup to the 2020 election, we leveraged our right-left brand, creative prowess, and vast celebrity and influencer network to reach more than 40 million Americans with messages that directly counteracted President Trump’s outrageous election claims — at a total cost of under $2 million, or five cents per contact. What follows is not a partisan analysis or electoral strategy. We have left the old paradigm of Republican versus Democrat, and entered a new one of small “d” democracy vs. authoritarianism. This is what we must do to ensure competitive, representative and stable democracy in the U.S. If we don’t pass federal reform by July to outlaw gerrymandering, block voter suppression, and fix our broken elections, the emergent, anti-democratic faction of politicians will swiftly gerrymander, suppress, and manipulate the vote in all battleground states to ensure near-certain victory in 2022, 2024, and beyond. Our politics, economy and society will further destabilize. (Though if we do not pass the full Act by this summer, there may be opportunities to pass pieces of the Act in the fall). Fortunately, there is finally a clear path to fix our elections. But we have roughly 150 days to succeed on the federal level, and we need your help. This document outlines both the urgent federal strategy and our critical ongoing in-state programs. “It is not our diversity which divides us; it is not our ethnicity, or religion or culture that divides us. Since we have achieved our freedom, there can only be one division amongst us: between those who cherish democracy and those who do not.” Nelson Mandela 150 DAYS TO RESTORE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY | PAGE 3 FEDERAL OFFENSE: Immediate Federal Democracy Reform Opportunity Goal • Pass the landmark For The People Act (HR-1) by July 2021 (150 days) ▫ By mid-2022, also pass crucial post-Trump companion legislation, including the Protecting Our Democracy Act (Presidential powers focus) Rationale • Impactful (Orders of Magnitude): The For The People Act (FTPA) is the most impactful democracy reform package since the Civil Rights Era. It contains direly needed fixes to federal elections, ethics, campaign finance, and presidential accountability laws: if passed, it would end federal gerrymandering, protect and expand voting rights and outlaw voter suppression, prohibit dark money, ensure presidential financial disclosures, fix the FEC, strengthen ethics oversight, fund election security, and much more. • Progress: We estimate that the U.S. democracy movement currently has 15% of the policies in place to ensure a vibrant democracy. Passing the FTPA would move us to 65%. • Narrow Window: Passage is viable for the first time since 2010, and likely not again for decades. A crisis just occurred. The bill is supported by the U.S. President, and the leaders of the U.S. House and Senate. The time is now. • Must Win: The For The People Act must pass by July 2021 to have maximum effect -- namely to pass in time to stop the decennial gerrymandering that begins this summer. Without passage by mid-2021, opponents of democracy, with their outsized influence in every swing state legislature (WI MI PA OH NC GA FL TX AZ) will pass new laws to surgically suppress votes and manipulate election certification rules/outcomes in 2022, 2024, and beyond. 150 DAYS TO RESTORE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY | PAGE 4 F EDERAL OFFENSE EDERAL Need: RepresentUs Role National advocacy partners — advocacy organizations and ally state and federal legislators — have Opportunity Democracy Reform : Immediate Federal asked us to employ the unique mix of our nonpartisan/independent brand with our best-in-class celebrity/cultural network and marketing platforms to 1) immediately launch a massive campaign that ensures Americans know about and demand the passage of this comprehensive reform and 2) engage moderate/independent voters and influencers in the handful of key states where U.S. Senators will need carrot and stick pressure. Program description • HQ staff are coordinating daily with top organizations, Capitol Hill strategists, and our federal and state lobbyists to ensure our nationwide messaging, celebrity activation, and grassroots organizing campaigns are in lock-step with changing political needs. • Working with top-tier marketing firms, HQ staff are currently producing a major, celebrity-driven public education, paid and earned media push — based on emerging research-tested messaging — to emotionally (not cerebrally) connect for the American public how the For the People Act is central to stopping the rise of authoritarianism and the forces that led the radical right to storm the U.S. Capitol. The first push will be timed to coincide with an anticipated post-impeachment trial focus on the Act in Congress • A handful of moderate Senators will be lobbied extensively by in-state grassroots, grasstops, lobbyists, and advertising tactics to ensure their support for the Act, with multifaceted targeting of crucial independent and moderate voters and influencers in these states. We must show these Senators that they must pass reform and will be supported for doing so. Organizers are currently being vetted and hired. 150 DAYS TO RESTORE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY | PAGE 5 F EDERAL OFFENSE EDERAL Analysis Ahead of the January 5 Georgia runoff election, the and Democrats will make the case to modify the Opportunity Democracy Reform : Immediate Federal odds of a Democratic trifecta in DC were low, and filibuster. The goal is to then pass the FTPA on the field was prepared for another two years of a party line 51-50 vote before the redistricting/ federal democracy reform dead-ends. Post-Georgia, gerrymandering process progresses significantly the slim 51-50 Democratic Senate majority (Census data will be delivered between May 1 and creates an extraordinarily rare opportunity to pass July 30). sweeping
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