Statement by former USG leaders calling on President Biden to launch a bold new initiative to protect U.S. democracy

AfP invites all former U.S. government leaders who have worked in the peace, conflict, development, and democracy space, as well as U.S. government implementing partners (current and former) to sign on as individuals to AfP's statement below calling on President Biden to launch a robust initiative to support civic engagement and democracy strengthening efforts from the ground-up. This statement is a follow-up to the recommendations that AfP sent to the White House in July.

Read Our Statement:

As former U.S. government leaders and U.S. government implementing partners who worked to build and strengthen democracy in conflict affected and fragile states globally, we urge the Biden administration to urgently be bold and develop a robust whole-of-government evidence based strategy to rebuild, strengthen, and protect American democracy.

We call on the President to propose a new American initiative to support civic engagement and democracy strengthening efforts from the bottom-up.

We agree with the President’s remarks on Memorial Day that "democracy itself is in peril, here at home and around the world. What we do now -- what we do now, how we honor the memory of the fallen will determine whether or not democracy will long endure." We propose the new initiative should be called The Center to Secure American Democracy and modeled after the bipartisan National Endowment for Democracy, which promotes and strengthens democracy abroad and counters authoritarianism.

We applaud President Biden’s announcement on convening leaders from around the world for a Summit for Democracy in December. We welcome the United States return to a global leadership role to uphold and protect democracy and human rights globally. However, American global leadership will only be legitimate if we rebuild and strengthen our own democracy.

Addressing the crisis of American democracy will take a national institution with a clear mandate and responsibility for preparing citizens for effective participation in our diverse democracy. The new institution should be governed by an independent board of directors and mandated to work with the broad spectrum of civil society organizations across the U.S. – such as non-profit and civic organizations that work across political, racial, religious, and regional divisions; reform and increase opportunities for civic education; break down information silos; and increase literacy and awareness of misinformation. It should also include a network of offices in all 50 states, providing state-based resource hubs that demonstrate tangible federal government commitments to these efforts. The President must request robust funding from Congress to establish the institution and ensure annual appropriations from Congress.

American democracy is on a path of decline and increasing conflict dynamics are driving instability and violence in the United States. Stepping back from the brink requires an acknowledgment of escalating violent conflict, an increasingly flawed democracy, and the degradation of the bonds that hold us together as a nation. We agree with the nearly 200 scholars that “our entire democracy is now at risk.” Additionally, as the U.S. population grows more diverse, we need to urgently work to support civic engagement and empower local communities.

President Reagan in a speech a year before establishing the National Endowment for Democracy said, “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.”

While President Biden and bipartisan members of Congress are focusing much effort and political capital on rebuilding America’s road and bridges, much needs to be done to “foster the infrastructure of democracy” here at home.

We stand ready to support the President in his efforts to renew, rebuild, and protect our democracy.