It’s Up to Us
Our political system is broken. Our economy isn’t fair. We keep telling Washington to fix things, but Washington has been corrupted by MegaMoney and captured by crony capitalism. We can’t wait any longer. It’s time for us to take action.
We get it, but we’re not sure where to begin. People worry that reform is impossible. Not true. It’s already happening in many places. Average Americans are making change happen at the grass roots. Their stories are inspiring. We can learn from them. Working together in our home states and communities, We the People can reclaim the American Dream.
That’s what this website is for – for sharing progress, restoring democracy, making our economy fairer. Our mission is to help you make change. We are non-partisan. We don’t have one pet solution we’re pushing. We’ve profiled several issues, including voting rights. We’ll do more. You decide. The main point is for you to get engaged, get active.
Our goal is to help you get started. Newcomers need an entry point to various pathways of reform. So we’re your gateway. We’re here to explain the issues. To show you where things are happening. To tell you success stories. To help you connect with organizations already at work on reform. So let’s get started.
The best way to gain confidence in progressive reform is to read success stories from other states. They’re inspiring and you can learn a lot from how they got results. Click on each one to learn more.
Step 6 - Get Help ▾
To be an effective advocate for reform, it’s essential to get informed on the issues. So we’ve pulled together issue briefings on several topics and we’ll keep expanding this list. Click on the icons to get briefed.
If you’re looking for a roadmap, chances are you’ll find it here. Change is not a myth. It’s a reality. People are winning reforms through grass roots citizen action all across America. Click on our progress reports below to see – ballot initiatives, new laws enacted, actions taken, reforms working.
Knowledge is power. Change doesn’t happen on its own. It takes ideas. It takes know-how. It takes the confidence you gain from tapping into a network of experience and learning from models of success forged by others. This is what our civic action tool box gives you.
Hedrick Smith, who conceived this website and is its principal writer and architect, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning former New York Times reporter and Emmy award-winning documentary producer for PBS and PBS FRONTLINE. more »
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• It’s impossible to start right off fixing Washington. Our leverage is local and, fortunately, almost every national problem has local roots. So we can have an impact on national problems by action at the state and local level.
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• Read how grass roots reformers in other states are achieving success. We’ve provided success stories that are instructive and inspiring. They’ll give you ideas on how to get organized and build reform coalitions.
• Organize home get-togethers, group discussions and study sessions to gain allies and build support.
• Click here to see the information packages that we have put together on key issues – complete with an issue brief, progress report, success story, reading list and and a list of organizations where you can turn for help.
• Check which national organizations have experience in organizing for reform and are already at work on your issue. We’ve given you contact information for reaching out to them to see if they can offer support for your movement.
