The State of Our Democracy
We envision an America where everyone can thrive, but we’re at risk of moving further away from that vision every day. People are shouting instead of listening, and a whole lot of fighting means very little progress. The current climate has left many moderate Americans disillusioned or disengaged, and that doesn’t appear to be changing on its own any time soon. A new Gallup poll says that 90% of Americans expect to see political conflict—not cooperation—this year. This may be the one thing we all agree on right now!
Considering the culture wars being waged around us, it’s not surprising that so many Americans are feeling pessimistic about our nation. Noxious antisemetic, anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-immigrant, and anti-public education narratives are on the rise and hate crimes are threatening the safety of many Americans. At the same time, election denial disinformation has eroded trust in our democracy and authoritarianism continues to take root at home and abroad.
Despite this challenging landscape, we believe there is a way forward. One that is rooted in building trust, sharing accurate information on the issues that matter, and supporting one another to show up for what we believe in. That’s why we’re so focused on understanding and reaching the millions of women who hope for a better future for themselves and their families, but who aren’t yet reliably aligning those values with their civic behavior. So in 2023, we’re growing our educational programming and Galvanize Together digital community, building confidence and agency as we go. We’re doubling down on disinformation defense and pushing back against the fear-based narratives that are destabilizing our democracy. And we’ll continue the ongoing research that helps us do what we do even better.
We’ll proactively talk to our audience about the kitchen table issues we know they care about, like the economy, healthcare, and meeting their family’s needs. We’ll inoculate against the culture wars that polarize us, fight back against hate, increase opposition to abortion bans, and strengthen faith in voting and democracy. Together, we will keep working toward an America that works better for everyone!
