Democracy’s enemies have spoken. What about its defenders? 

President Biden called for U.S. commitment to democracy “The most urgent issues of our time” and “What exactly is the 2024 election all about?” He’s right, but his message is incomplete. Elections should not only be about saving democracy, but also about repairing democracy. Otherwise, he is asking voters to maintain the status quo in which most people have lost confidence.

Similarly, Biden was right to name Donald Trump as his next candidate. the most serious current threat to democracy, But that message is also incomplete. Democracy is not safe if voters re-elect the Republicans currently in Congress. That includes 126 members of Congress who violated their oath of office by attending the former president’s rally. fake elector plan. They have shown that they lack the character and backbone to defend democracy and the Constitution.

So far, President Biden and the defenders of democracy, including Democrats, independents, and moderate Republicans, have been disappointed.Trump clearly how will he subvert democracy. A coalition of ultra-conservative think tanks gave him this mandate: Detailed playbook for establishing a right-wing totalitarian government. But democratic leaders have not responded with detailed plans to restore Americans’ confidence in our country and its governance.

America is a 250-year experiment in representative democracy, where voters elect leaders who make laws and policies. Money and campaign costs have corrupted the system. As a result, our elected leaders too often work for special interests rather than for the people. The proof is that there is a huge gap between what people want and what governments provide.that’s all 70 percent of Americans of voting age now have little faith in the federal government’s ability to make progress on important national issues.

The electoral system is also corrupt. Donald Trump’sbig lie” This is one of the reasons why people’s trust in elections is being undermined. The other is that partisans are rigging the system.of brennan justice center States say they introduced more restrictive voting laws last year than in the past decade.

Only now 28 percent The percentage of U.S. adults who are satisfied with how our democracy is functioning is at a record low.is more than 60 percent We have little or no confidence in our political system.and almost 60 percent of voters believe our system of government needs major reform or an overhaul.

How can the Save Democracy platform address these issues? Polls show:

Reform campaign funds: Americans believe The government is “run by a few big interests looking out for themselves.”” Not for the benefit of the nation as a whole.that’s all 70 percent of Americans want limits on campaign spending by individuals and corporations. An overwhelming majority across party lines says Congress does. Too influenced by major donors (80%) and lobbyists and special interest groups (73%). Congress should increase public financing for election campaigns, set limits on campaign spending, and eliminate dark money contributions.

And since the Supreme Court has made such a flawed decision by equating money with free speech and corporations with personality, Congress should exercise its authority. Exceptions to Article 3 Under the Constitution, campaign funds cannot be restricted at the discretion of the courts.

Protect your voting rights: Legislation to do this is being debated in Congress. It would establish national voting standards, end partisan gerrymandering, make Election Day in November a holiday, establish automatic voter registration in each state, mandate same-day voter registration and early voting periods, and It would create protections for nonpartisan election officials.

abolish the electoral system: Almost two-thirds of Americans He wants the winner of the presidential election to be determined by the popular vote rather than the Electoral College. Congress should send a constitutional amendment to the states to make this change. In the meantime, more states need to join. National Popular Vote Interstate Compact and agree to allocate all electors to the winner of the national popular vote.

Creating ideological balance on the Supreme Court: almost 60 percent of Americans do not support the way the Supreme Court conducts its duties. 56 percent They say the court leans too far to the left or right. next Congress could give the president the power to appoint several new justices to establish a greater ideological balance and require future presidents to maintain it. Congress should also establish term limits for judges and require strict and effective enforcement of ethics rules.

fight climate change: Most Americans want the federal government to do more, with 69% supporting measures to make the country carbon neutral by 2050. Almost half of America’s young people Those aged 18 to 29, who will bear the brunt of climate change, support the complete phase-out of fossil fuels. The time has come to end America’s longstanding “all of the above” energy policy and make the hard choices necessary to combat climate change.

reform immigration policy: Last year, 68 percent of adults say immigration is good for America, but 60% are concerned about illegal immigration. President Biden and a bipartisan group of Congress Working on a border security reform agreementBut President Trump urged Republicans to object, saying it would eliminate one of the issues in his campaign against President Biden.

What other gaps should the plan address? Polls show that a significant number of Americans want stricter gun laws, reproductive rights, Increasing income and wealth equality, more effective parliament, Equal pay for equal work and More affordable higher educationamong others.

Although unlikely in these highly partisan times, a coalition of Democrats, independents, and moderate Republicans would produce the ideal plan. As Biden said, it’s up to all three groups to “honor the sacred cause of democracy, not walk away from it.”Former U.S. Representative Liz Cheney says: “A time of trial, challenge and crisis for our democracy.” Agree. “There are many areas where we can agree in a bipartisan way,” she says.

It’s worth a try. The enemies of democracy have told us what they will do. Defenders of democracy must respond with boldness and substantive detail.

William S. BeckerHe is co-editor and contributor to “.Democracy Unchained: How to Rebuild Government for the People.”and contributors Democracy in a hotter erawas selected by Nature magazine as one of the top five science books of 2023. He currently serves as executive director of the Presidential Project on Climate Action (PCAP), a nonpartisan climate policy think tank unaffiliated with the White House.