To defend, strengthen, and improve U.S. democracy: Our priorities for this year

In the midst of a deeply polarizing election cycle projected to be the most expensive of all time, it is easy to be pessimistic about the state of our nation’s democracy. Political divisions appear to be widening, while public confidence in critical institutions continues to wane. Global conflicts stress long-standing coalitions, perception of the economy shapes political identity, and the emergence of powerful AIs threatens to further destabilize society at a speed and scale we can hardly comprehend.

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s work to mitigate the corrosive impact of polarization on U.S. democracy is a long-term endeavor. We believe that regardless of the outcome of the election, Nov. 5, 2024, will be neither “mission impossible” nor “mission accomplished” for American democracy. In other words, trustworthy elections and just policies rely upon the institutions and processes through which we negotiate our differences. Our nonpartisan focus on these core components of a shared political community, we believe, leads to a durable, inclusive democracy that ensures all people can reach their fullest potential.

Second, we believe that a durable and inclusive liberal democracy is important to all Americans, regardless of ideology or political party. Therefore, we will pursue efforts to strengthen our democracy in a deeply nonpartisan fashion.

Along these lines, the relationships and networks that support democratic processes and infrastructure are of critical importance. Our grantees are helping the press, election officials, and policymakers understand the values and operating principles of our democracy, devise innovative policy solutions, and, most importantly, plan for threats and opportunities that loom on the horizon. Complementary to this work, we are excited about new efforts to advance in-group moderation strategies across a range of communities.

Finally, while our immediate grantmaking will index toward short-term efforts to defend and strengthen processes and infrastructure, we cannot lose sight of longer-term strategies to improve our democracy. In this vein, we are exploring research to better understand how trust in democracy is shifting, as well as efforts to deepen our analysis of the culture of our democracy so that our democratic processes, infrastructure, and institutions help all Americans reach their fullest potential.

Our collective ability to defend, strengthen, and improve our democracy ultimately relies on our willingness to build the broadest possible coalition of stakeholders across the ideological spectrum. Through constructive dialogue across differences, we can build an inclusive democracy where all people and communities flourish.