The growth of small-dollar donations has made races more competitive, as incumbents face challenges from well-funded opponents.
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TOWARDS BETTER DEMOCRACY EVERYWHERE. FOUNDED 2011.

Small Donors Are Making Elections More Democratic

Can The Courts Police Gerrymanders?
A North Carolina court ruled that courts don’t have the ability to determine if a political map is legal, giving legislators a free pass.

Ranked Voting’s Rare But Real Mathematical Flaws
RCV has some theoretical and historically observed flaws, and should be assessed for pros and cons before adoption.

How Megadonors Circumvent Laws To Buy Politicians
America’s megadonors pump cash into political systems, circumventing finance laws using joint fundraising committees.

Bipartisan Ban On Stock Trading In Congress Introduced
AOC, Gaetz & Fitzpatrick introduced the Restoring Faith in Government Act to ban Congress members from trading stocks.

Battle Over Ranked Voting Rages Nationwide
Advocates of ranked-choice voting say it helps women and people of color candidates participate in a more democratic election system.

Report Details Pentagon-to-Contractor Lobbying
672 former officials worked for top defense contractors, 91% in lobbying roles, as they receive significant government contracts.

Why Presidential Candidates Form Exploratory Committees
Exploratory committees allow candidates to campaign without running initially, but most who form them eventually run.

Chile Selecting Constitutional Council Amid Voter Apathy
Chile will vote to choose 50 delegates to a council to draw up a new Constitution, after voters rejected a proposed charter.

Outrage After Russian Director And Playwright Detained
Berkovich and Petriychuk where charged with justifying terrorism over a play about Russian women marrying Islamists in Syria.

Hong Kong To Slash Locally Elected Seats
Hong Kong plans to reduce the number of directly elected seats in district councils to prevent activists from gaining power.

Belarus Journalist Taken From Plane Sentenced To 8 years
The arrest of opposition blogger Raman Pratasevich shocked the world when Belarus forced his Ryanair flight to Lithuania to land in Minsk.

King’s Coronation Prompts Scrutiny Of Royal Wealth
The lavish coronation, featuring expensive jewels and a golden carriage, sparks debate about funding the royal family and public support.

Challenges Of Implementing AI With “Democratic Values”
A closer look at one of the most accepted norms for AI systems demonstrates the challenges inherent in incorporating democratic values.

At This Museum Sixth Graders Learn Lessons In Democracy
At the New-York Historical Society’s democracy program, 21 sixth graders debated weekly tests versus daily homework options.

Twitter Changes Boost Autocrats’ Digital Disinformation
Recent changes at Twitter have enabled authoritarian governments in Russia, China, and Iran to amplify propaganda and disinformation.