Citizen or Subject
Foundation Blocks

Call to Action

Larger Self
Authoritarian Playbook
Big Issues
Citizen Playbook
Critical Topics

We Protect and Improve Our Democratic Processes and Institutions

(a “Citizens’ Playbook”)

“I realize that democracies require consistent work by citizens to protect as well as improve the processes and institutions at the core of our way of life. I realize that is an extraordinary challenge and that our democracy is not currently meeting the needs of all Americans. I commit to saying “yes” to the call to step up as an independent citizen vs. being stepped on as a dependent subject – now.”

Citizen Playbook Thought Catcher

What is Here

#1 Why Citizen Action to Protect and Improve Our Democracy?

  • Democracy is Awkward and Often Inefficient
  • Our Democracy is Not Meeting the Needs of Too Many Americans
  • Our Democracy Won’t Survive “Ordinary”
  • We Must Play Offense

#2 Our Fundamental Goals as Citizens

  • Free and Fair Elections
  • Credible Balanced Branches of Government
  • Fair and Just “Rule of Law”
  • Free Press
  • Healthy “Dynamic Tensions”
  • Accountability
  • Minimal Political and Social Polarization
  • Culture of Confidence and Responsibility
  • Citizen Voices

#3 Examples of Specific Citizen Actions

  • Examples of Basic Individual Actions
  • Examples of Basic Actions in Groups
  • Examples of Basic Systemic Actions

#1 Why Citizen Action to Protect and Improve Our Democracy?

Our democratic institutions and processes are what hold our democratic system together over time – along with the values and principles that Americans have held for 250 years. But they must be maintained and strengthened for our democracy to remain viable. That is a particular challenge at this point in time and it requires committed sustained action by a critical mass of American citizens.

There are a surprising number of roles that individuals can play with intention to support those institutions and processes.  Most of us model many of those roles, but we can significantly increase our impact simply be being very intentional about the actions we take.

The key is to take a bunch of actions that are not too much of a stretch (some stretch is good) and then keep increasing the actions taken and our intention as we gain experience.  To have much of an impact we will need to get out of our comfort zones to some extent, but that’s not a bad thing.

 

Democracy is Awkward and Often Inefficient

Making it work is deceptively difficult. Like any system over time, a democracy wears down and currently we need significant improvement in almost all areas because it is fraying and losing too much of the credibility on which it rests.

Our Democracy is Not Meeting the Needs of Too Many Americans

Far too many Americans are not feeling like their basic needs are being met.  They are, not surprisingly, acting out of fear and anger and seeing destruction as the only power they have.  Or they are looking for a “savior” to take care of them and make things OK.

As citizens we have the responsibility to collectively develop and maintain a democracy that can meet the basic needs of Americans. We need to offer a constructive alternative to acting destructively or giving up on democracy and becoming dependent subjects of Authoritarians.

Our Democracy Won’t Survive “Ordinary”
As citizens we can sometimes ride on the momentum of our democracy. But – sometimes we have to step up and make a difference. This is one of those times. Our challenge is to come together to act as citizens – even if we don’t feel ready or particularly powerful.

Ordinary is:

  • People needing to be taken care of
  • People wanting easy answers
  • People willing to give up freedom and the responsibility of citizenship for a false sense of security and order
  • People believing that they really aren’t capable of being citizens and self-governing
  • People believing that there are people who are better or meant to rule
  • People underestimating their significance and capability – and their ability to “learn the way”
  • People standing on the sidelines and failing to act on their values and beliefs – unwilling to go outside of their current comfort zones to honor and live those values and beliefs
Our challenge as citizens is to act to be part of the solution even if we can’t see the complete solution or even the complete path to it. We are called to act even if we don’t feel ready and we must go outside our normal comfort zone for a time. Going beyond the ordinary as citizens means acting from a sense that we are significant and have something to offer – drawing on our best and finding new “bests” as we go – persevering and becoming increasingly resilient. Being “ordinary” is easy. Going beyond “ordinary” is not – but that is what a democracy requires. 

We Must Play Offense

There are many ways to play offense and thinking of these strategies as a “Citizen’s Playbook” is one way to focus attention and action.  Many of the areas of focus are similar to how we counter the strategies in the Authoritarian Playbook, but the “Citizen’s Playbook” is focused on playing offense vs. defense. 
“Democracy is not a spectator sport, it's a participatory event. If we don't participate in it, it ceases to be a democracy.”
Michael Moore

#2 Our Fundamental Goals as Citizens

 These are fundamental “big picture” goals to help define the overall challenge we face as citizens of a democracy. They are big, they are complex, and they require a lot of us as citizens. That is why we must go beyond “ordinary” and play offense – probably for a long time.

  1. We ensure free and fair elections, countering gerrymandering, voter suppression, and misinformation
  2. We maintain and develop effective and credible branches of government – Executive, Congress, and the Supreme Court
  3. We ensure a fair and just “rule of law”
  4. We protect a free press and a common understanding of “the truth”
  5. We manage a set of healthy “dynamic tensions” among political parties, between individual rights and community needs, between government and business, among differing values, and among different levels of government
  6. We hold elected officials, political appointees, and professionals in government agencies accountable for their performance and that of government
  7. We counter political and social polarization, the demonization of opponents, and the fear of “others”
  8. We maintain a culture of confidence and responsibility – standing on our two foundation blocks – our extraordinary founding and our “no quit” trajectory – to unapologetically champion our democracy and our tough role as citizens
  9. Healthy citizen voices are used and heard – advocating and/or protesting
“The objective I propose is quite simple to state: to foster the infrastructure of democracy - the system of a free press, unions, political parties, universities - which allows a people to choose their own way to develop their own culture, to reconcile their own differences through peaceful means”.
Ronald Reagan

The key is finding the specific strategies and tactics to achieve each of the goals. Fortunately, a lot of work has been done by different groups and organizations in each goal area, and we can build on that and/or join them in their efforts.

Most of these goals require both individual and collective action, so our task as citizens is to determine the individual actions we can take and engage with and/or support others in groups or organizations to make a difference. If we stay on the sidelines we simply become subjects and give up being citizens.

“Democracy is not a spectator sport, it's a participatory event. If we don't participate in it, it ceases to be a democracy.”
Michael Moore​

#3 Examples of Specific Citizen Actions

These are examples of actions that we can take as citizens to protect and improve our democracy.  They are not prescriptive and no citizen is expected to take all of the actions.  The key is to select the actions that can be taken now and take them – even if that means going outside a comfort zone.  We can start with a few specific actions and add, refine, or stop actions as we go and build on our experience. 

Some of these actions are ongoing and some happen at specific times during the year (like around elections).  Some are simple and some are complex.  Some we can do just as individuals, some we can do in groups, and some are systemic in focus.    

Examples of Basic Individual Actions

Stay Informed
1. Follow credible news sources
2. Understand the critical issues and how a democratic government works
3. Search the web and use AI to research topics

 

Vote Consistently
1. Know the issues
2. Know the candidates
3. Encourage others to vote – “each one bring one”
4. Provide transportation
5. Volunteer at a voting place

 

Practice Civil Discourse (deceptively challenging, but fundamental to the health of a democracy)
1. Understand multiple points of view
2. “Seek first…”
3. Challenge misinformation
4. Seek out others with differing viewpoints

 

Use My Network
1. Connect the appropriate parts of my network with specific issues and organizations
2. Encourage the people and organizations in my network to understand the issues and to act

 

Financially Support those Defending America’s Democracy
1. Directly provide financial support on a regular basis
2. Support specific high impact timely initiatives

 

Advocate Personally
1. Understand the range of issues and choose where to focus
2. Communicate with public officials, the media, the relevant groups, and your network to advocate for specific issues and actions – and/or support/reinforce actions already taken
3. In general, push for a focus on effective citizenship and the value of a diverse democracy

 

Support Truth-Based Journalism
1. Subscribe to local and national media
2. Patronize advertisers and let them know it’s because of local media
3. Champion/advocate for media and defend it when under attack

 

Hold Public Officials Accountable
1. Work to get people elected who are ready to take on the big tough complex issues we face; who act from courage vs. fear and hope vs. anger; and who put country/community over self and can persevere to ”hold the course”
2. Let them know where you stand on issues
3. Attend public forums, town halls, digital meetings, etc.
4. Support accountable officials financially, as a volunteer, and with votes

 

Examples of Basic Actions in Groups

Be Active in Civic Organizations
1. Join civic organizations
2. Support civic organizations financially
3. Help organizations form coalitions, advocate together, etc.
4. Advocate and/or protest with civic organizations
5. Bring others with you to the organizations
6. Start a civic organization

Host Community Conversations (on our own or through organizations like Braver Angels)
1. Model acting to support respectful truth-based conversations among people with different perceptions, beliefs, values, etc.
2. Create safe spaces for dialogue on local or national concerns, democratic values, etc.
3. Host sessions on how to support democracy – how to be an effective citizen

Volunteer
1. Volunteer to support a specific organization
2. Volunteer to advance a specific issue
3. Volunteer for a specific event

Examples of Basic Systemic Actions

Play an Intentional Specific Role(s) in the Advocacy Process

  1. Support organizations that are advocating for things you value
  2. Identify the skills you have that can play a part in the advocacy process and connect with organizations that can use those skills (even in small ways)

 

Support the Individuals, Groups, and Organizations that are Taking on the Big Complex Issues

  1. Support them financially
  2. Support them with membership
  3. Volunteer
  4. Connect them to your network