Leadership Now Members Support Democracy In Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

On April 4, Wisconsin voters cast ballots for democracy, electing Judge Janet Protasiewicz by a double-digit margin to the state’s Supreme Court in a special election that had drawn national attention as one whose outcome could “change the course of the entire country.” 

Writing in her March Democracy & Business Update on LinkedIn, Leadership Now CEO Daniella Ballou-Aares noted how the court, under its previous 4-3 majority, barred drop boxes for vote-by-mail ballots and refused to act on unfair district maps in this notoriously gerrymandered state. Wisconsin’s maps merit an F from the Princeton Gerrymandering Project and the state as a whole receives a C on Leadership Now’s Democracy Report Card, she reported. 

The importance of the April 4th election prompted Leadership Now’s Wisconsin members to take action — sending a questionnaire to the candidates asking them to confirm their commitment to democracy. Judge Protasiewicz responded and agreed to uphold future election results; her competitor Dan Kelly declined to respond to the group’s 5-question judicial letter. 

Anoop Prakash, John Floreshim, and Sachin Shivaram, Leadership Now members and leaders of Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy, made a case in an op-ed in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on the importance of the special election. They wrote:

"The stakes could not be higher. As a non-partisan group of business leaders from both political parties, we believe it is in the best interests of all Wisconsinites to elect justices who will uphold our freedoms and support the principles of democracy on which our country was founded."

The group also aired an ad explaining its rationale for endorsing Judge Protasiewicz.

The court, with Protasiewicz now on it, is expected to hear many crucial cases in the years ahead — on gerrymandering, abortion, and challenges to future presidential election results. 

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Leadership Now Project is a section 501(c)(4) social welfare organization with a mission to protect and renew American democracy. Project Democracy is a separate, affiliated political organization that supports candidates who share that mission.

The Challenge of Building Trust

“What will it take to rebuild trust?” asked Leadership Now CEO Daniella Ballou-Aares in the latest Democracy & Business Update on LinkedIn. “It starts with courageous individuals like Leadership Now honoree Al Schmidt, Pennsylvania's Secretary of State, who [in January] was awarded one of America’s top civilian honors for his defense of the 2020 vote while overseeing the Philadelphia election as a Republican City Commissioner. Even while he and his family endured threats to their safety, he stood up to Trump’s pressure to overturn the election results.” 

“But people like Al Schmidt alone won’t be enough to defend and rebuild democracy for the long term,” Daniella wrote in the Leadership Now update. As NYU professor and democracy expert Richard Pildes discussed at Leadership Now’s 2022 annual meeting, polarized, ineffective government fosters an atmosphere where autocratically-inclined leaders who promise to ‘deliver’ and create order through strength can gain popular appeal and undercut democracy. We've seen this play out in countries from Hungary to Brazil to Italy to India in recent years.

“With the Edelman Trust Baromoter once again showing that business is the most trusted sector in society, the burden for all of us to use that trust wisely is high. How can you help rebuild trust in our system, even as some political leaders burn it?”

Read on in the Monthly Business + Democracy Update

for Daniella Ballou-Aares’ tally of the low and high points for trusted leadership that have defined the start to 2023 — and the latest perspectives of Leadership Now and its members in the press.

Subscribe to the Monthly Business +  Democracy Update on LinkedIn.

Classified Documents Risk Further Eroding Trust In Democracy

How is it possible that the current president, the former president and the former vice president all be tripped up by the same federal document control system, ostensibly designed to keep America’s most vital secrets safe? And what does that have to do with the strength of American democracy?

Leadership Now Project CEO Daniella Ballou-Aares took on this question in a recent appearance on MSNBC, joining American Voices with Alicia Menendez to share her perspective on the burgeoning controversies over improper possession of classified documents by some of America’s most prominent and powerful public officials.

“One of the really worrying things about this whole scandal is that [it] further erodes American trust and democracy,” she told viewers. “We need to look at the system and make something that actually works.” She emphasized the need to modernize the system and also ensure we “find the real instances of threats to national security and intent to undermine it,” rather than simply that documents marked classified were retained after officials left office.

While the complications associated with classification are a serious challenge to public trust, they may also present an opportunity for reform —and for taking a robust look at how the U.S. government strategically uses information and keeps it secure. In 2010, President Obama passed The Reducing Over-Classification Act in response to findings by the 9/11 Commission that overclassification had undermined national security. In 2023, we again find the system – replete with overclassification and confounded by a lack of clarity around what should be classified – posing a risk to national security by undermining Americans’ faith in the system and creating a weakness our adversaries will see as an opportunity.

New Research: How Are Business Leaders Engaging in Politics?

Tufts University Associate Professor of Political Science and Leadership Now member Dr. Eitan Hersh recently released findings from a new survey funded by Leadership Now that examines the changing partisan landscape of the business community and business leaders’ attitudes toward political engagement. On a call with our members, Dr. Hersh dove into the results and shared his thoughts. Here are some of the key findings:

Shifting Political Alignment

No matter their political preference, the majority of survey respondents believe US businesses have become more aligned with Democrats in the last decade. Executives say CEOs and employees have the most influence over corporate political alignment compared to other stakeholders such as customers or investors, and they believe CEOs and employees are causing the political realignment.

Policy Focus Areas

There is a widespread appetite among business leaders for companies to do more on most policy issues. The one exception is election administration policy — no matter their political affiliation, business leaders overwhelmingly disfavor companies becoming more involved in elections. Of the variety of social/policy issues companies can get engaged with, economic policy is the most popular. More engagement in environmental and social policy engagement was also of interest to business leaders, regardless of their political affiliation. There was near unanimous support from all respondents for companies encouraging people to vote as a strategy for civic engagement.

Corporate Political Activities

Most business leaders prefer political engagement in the form of “traditional elite methods”, such as advocacy through industry groups and executives meeting directly with lawmakers. Executives strongly disfavored turning away objectionable customers that disagreed with their own values; however younger executives in customer facing organizations/roles were much more likely to support dropping objectionable customers. About one-third of executives said that their companies regularly make political contributions and most executives believe that their companies should scale down their political contributions. Additionally, overall executives have concerns that increased company political activism would harm profitability, employee morale, and brand favorability; however, Democratic business leaders have a stronger preference for corporate activism than Republican business leaders.

In addition to the survey, Dr. Hersh conducted 30 hour-long one-to-one interviews with executives and was able to get a sense of the constraints the business leaders face, as well as the lack of awareness of what it would mean to be involved in lawmaking and policy efforts.

Dr. Hersh recently published an op-ed in The Atlantic with his thoughts on “political hobbyism — a performative form of civic engagement that has become the white-collar set’s preferred approach to public affairs.” He uses the example of companies that publicly stated they would not contribute to politicians who voted against certifying the 2020 election and then quietly went back to donating to them. He encourages business leaders to strategically get involved in long-term civic engagement, rather than take public stands but not hold themselves accountable.

Dr. Hersh plans to expand his research to include input from the general public and expects results in January 2023. We will be sure to share those findings once they are released.

Post-Election Analysis: Is Democracy at an Inflection Point?

Insights from the Midterms

Two weeks after Election Day, one result is crystal clear: the elections were a resounding win for American democracy. Election denialism was on the ballot, and in state after state, it lost.

Do the election results indicate we are at an inflection point? The events of the last few weeks – the midterm rejection of election denial, the repudiation of Trump jumping back in the ring, Musk’s self-inflicted Twitter wounds, and the implosion of Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto empire – suggest that a particularly toxic brand of hubris that has become a central feature of our politics may have reached its limits.

While there are certainly risks ahead, I believe we have a unique opportunity to change the trajectory of our democracy. First up? Keep the pressure on Congress to pass the Electoral Count Act in the lame duck session (December). And then watch closely the Supreme Court case on the "independent state legislature theory”; our amicus brief argues that an unchecked state legislature is a risk to the economy and the rule of law. Oral arguments commence December 7th.

There is much more to do in order to protect, innovate and rebuild our democracy. It’s up to us to seize this moment. 

Five Key Election Takeaways for Democracy

• Pro-democracy candidates beat election deniers in key governor races in Arizona (Hobbs), Pennsylvania (Shapiro), Michigan (Whitmer), and Wisconsin (Evers). Governors and Secretaries of State oversee state election machinery and legislative decision-making on elections. The prospect that an election denier could hold such a position was frightening. But, in every swing state where they ran for Governor or Secretary of State, they lost. Republicans who didn’t embrace election denial, like Raffensperger in Georgia, fared far better.

• Michigan voters make their voices heard, prioritizing democracy. A ballot initiative strengthening access to voting and protecting against election interference in the state’s constituencies was resoundingly approved. Exceptional leaders beat election deniers to retain the top three statewide positions. Implementation of objective redistricting – secured in a citizen-led ballot initiative in 2018 – led to more competitive state legislature races. Democrats won majorities in the state House and state Senate for the first time in 40 years and as in other states, Michigan voters used the ballot to prevent restrictive abortion laws that lacked popular support.

• New York turns competitive: New York’s rushed redistricting led to multiple new competitive House seats, 4 of which Democrats lost. The complacency of NY Democrats, a top of the ticket that failed to generate enthusiasm among voters (Hochul’s margin lagged Biden’s by 17 pts), and a sense of frustration with crime and other local issues appeared to be at play. New York stood in contrast to Ohio, where the courts found newly drawn maps unlawfully gerrymandered but refused to mandate new maps (which the NY courts did). The result is that unlike NY, Ohio’s distribution of Congressional seats remains disconnected from the actual partisan breakdown of voters in the state.

• Election and campaign finance reforms continue to win over voters: Nevada voters approved final five primaries with ranked choice voting, Connecticut voters backed early voting, and a divided Arizona electorate overwhelmingly approved a measure curbing undisclosed spending in political races. At the municipal level, several cities approved ranked choice voting systems, including Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; and Portland, ME.

• Talented new Gen X candidates prevail: Newcomers to Governor’s mansions include dynamic, pragmatic Gen Xers from Wes Moore in Maryland to Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania and Maura Healey in Massachusetts – who each won by double digits. Similarly, compelling candidates retained their seats in tough House races, Angie Craig (MN), Abigail Spanberger (VA), Katie Porter (CA), and Elissa Slotkin (MI) among them.

Leadership Now Members Take A Bold Stand for Democracy

In the 2022 midterms, the business leaders in Leadership Now’s membership took action. Here are four ways our organization and members contributed:

• Making the business case that democracy was at stake in 2022: Leadership Now focused on making the case that democracy was a central issue in the midterm elections. Our unique analyses helped explain the risks and dynamics in 2022 for members and wider business audiences, including in major media outlets. Our Election Risks analysis and ESG & Democracy memo were shared widely with C-suite executives, Boards and investors. We polled independent women in swing states and launched a state Democracy Report Card to inform state level priorities. Weekly member briefings, the annual member meeting in NY, and numerous member-hosted events convened leading thinkers and political leaders and drew attention to the critical issues at stake this cycle.

• Standing up against an election denier in Wisconsin: In an ad viewed 4M+ times, and produced by the Leadership Now-affiliated Project Democracy PAC, business leaders and Leadership Now members endorsed Gov. Evers as the only candidate committed to certifying elections regardless of the result. Evers won by ~90K votes against Michels.

• Ensuring democracy is protected in the Michigan constitution: Leadership Now endorsed the successful Promote the Vote Ballot Initiative (which won on a 60% to 40% margin) and helped secure critical business endorsements, including from the Detroit Regional Chamber. The initiative protects access to voting and reduces the politicization of elections.

• Supporting highly qualified candidates that mobilized the middle: Unlike most midterm elections, the majority of independent voters broke for the party in the White House. Leadership Now supported highly-qualified candidates for Congress and Governor who successfully inspired voters in the middle including our 2022 Candidates to Watch list. WelcomePAC, a Leadership Now partner, invested in races where compelling moderates ran but were overlooked by the Democratic Party and considered unwinnable. Two such races, CO-3 and CA-41, where election deniers Lauren Boebert and Ken Calvert lost by exceedingly small margins. These races reinforce the case for overhauling candidate funding models.

How to Boost Your Brand Through Civic Engagement

With voter turnout in the 2022 midterm elections at the second highest level in more than 40 years, many businesses are seizing the opportunity to engage stakeholders and tie their brand to civic engagement.

A recent Inc. Magazine article lays out four ways companies can promote their brand during an election season:

1. Provide accurate and accessible voter information.

2. Make it easier for employees to vote by giving them paid time off.

3. Focus on one issue important to the company and its stakeholders.

4. Help voters get to the polls.

Our work was highlighted in the piece: ”One of the most commonly reported barriers of getting to the polls is getting time off from work, according to a report from Leadership Now Project, an organization formed by a group of Harvard Business School graduates who seek to improve governance.”

Read the full article: https://www.inc.com/xintian-tina-wang/midterm-election-2022-campaigns-brands.html

How Did 2022 Ballot Measures Affect Democracy?

The 2022 midterm elections included voting and election ballot initiatives in several states across the country. While some measures made it easier for people to vote and introduced new electoral systems, others tightened voting laws. Many of these initiatives will directly impact each state’s overall grade on our Democracy Report Card.

Pro-democracy initiatives were on the ballot in three states:

• Michigan's Proposal 2 passed, providing free postage for absentee ballots, implementing nine days of early voting, and requiring ballot drop boxes for every 15,000 voters in a municipality. Leadership Now, local business leaders, and the Detroit Regional Chamber supported this “Promote the Vote” ballot initiative. As a result of these robust changes, Michigan may be able to take a leading overall grade in democracy, currently ranked fifth nationwide.

• In Connecticut, Question 1 passed, which will allow the state legislature to provide for early voting. Early voting will improve Connecticut's grade. 

• Nevada has cleared its first hurdle toward changing the status quo - despite opposition from both political parties. Question 3 passed, introducing open primaries and ranked choice voting (RCV). Like Alaska's new system, Nevada's traditional partisan primaries could be replaced with a ballot of all primary candidates where the top five will advance to a ranked-choice general election. The introduction of RCV has several positive effects on a state's democracy and could help raise Nevada’s current D grade in voting and B grade in electoral systems. The new voting system may increase competition between candidates, encourage cross-partisan efforts, reduce extreme messaging, and reveal the candidate with the most support across the entire electorate, not just the most passionate voters. To amend the Nevada Constitution, voters must approve Question 3 a second time in 2024.

Stricter voter-ID laws were on the ballot in two states. Arizona’s Proposition 309 is likely to fail, while Nebraska’s Initiative 432 passed. Nebraska will now require a photo ID to vote. Nebraska was previously the only Republican state without a voter-ID law. By adding a barrier to voting, Nebraska's average grade will decrease. Notably, a divided Arizona electorate overwhelmingly approved a measure curbing undisclosed spending in political races. 

Ohio passed Issue 2, which will limit voting for noncitizens. According to the measure, only US citizens registered to vote for at least 30 days are eligible to vote in state or local elections. Ohio has a C rating across the board, and this change may have a marginal impact on its grade. 

Additionally, state lawmakers in Arkansas tried to deceive voters into making the ballot initiative process harder to use. But voters rejected Amendment 2. The democracy grade for Arkansas is among the worst in the nation. 

We look forward to sharing details on how the midterm elections affected each state's Democracy Report Card in the coming weeks.

Ohio Business Leaders Urge Congress to Reform the Electoral Count Act

On November 6, Leadership Now Senior Advisor Richard Stoff co-signed an op-ed published in The Cleveland Plain Dealer along with five prominent Ohio business leaders. They urge Congress to pass much-needed reforms to the Electoral Count Act. 

“American democracy enables free markets to thrive, in which consumers and employees have a stake. It’s no coincidence that nearly all of the world’s largest companies are founded and based in democracies. 

But increasingly our elections, the very bedrock of our democracy, are under attack. An essential part of safeguarding our elections is fixing the glaring weaknesses in the rules governing our electoral and presidential transition process.”

Read the full op-ed: "Electoral Count Reform Act will strengthen our democracy and our economy: Albert B. Ratner and John E. Pepper"

Albert B. Ratner is the former co-chairman and CEO of Forest City Realty Trust in Cleveland, and John E. Pepper is the former chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati.

Joining them in authorship: 

Alex R. Fischer, former president and CEO of The Columbus Partnership. 

Richard A. Stoff, senior adviser to the Leadership Now Project and co-founder and former President and CEO of the Ohio Business Roundtable.

Michael H. Thaman, former chair and CEO of Owens Corning in Toledo. 

Thomas L. Williams, CEO of North American Properties and vice chairman and co-principal owner of the Cincinnati Reds. 

Leadership Now Files an Amicus Brief in Moore v. Harper

On October 26, Leadership Now filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case Moore v. Harper, which could give state legislatures unprecedented control over elections.

This case relies on an untenable interpretation of the Constitution's Elections Clause, referred to as the independent state legislature theory. Independent state legislature theory holds that state legislatures may regulate elections without the constraint of state constitutional provisions, state courts, or potentially a governor's veto. Learn more here. 

Leadership Now joined more than 60 groups and individuals submitting amicus briefs, including former generals, state attorneys general, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the US solicitor general herself. Our brief uniquely makes the case that independent state legislatures would create substantial risks to businesses and markets through gerrymandering and election interference. 

Oral arguments for the case start on December 7.

Political Violence and Election Denial are on the Ballot

A Midterm Message from Our CEO

As we approach a highly uncertain election, I’ll attempt to cut through the noise and share a few thoughts on what’s at stake, what is being done, and what you can do. 

But first – be sure to vote. November 8th is election day and many states have already started early voting. Encourage friends, colleagues, customers, and employees to participate. Find info on your polling place at vote.org.

What’s at stake in this election?

Political violence and election denial are on the ballot.

• The attack on Paul Pelosi is a warning sign. His attacker was fueled by online conspiracy theories. While Pelosi was recovering from surgery, Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk, used his platform to spread disinformation about the violent incident.

• 60 percent of Americans will have an election denier on the ballot. This isn’t an isolated incident of disinformation. In many GOP primaries, election denialism is an essential requirement to win.

• Governor and Secretary of State races are key to future election legitimacy. These elections will determine if election denial becomes a governing philosophy in states from Arizona to Michigan and even New York. 

• Arizona is ground zero. Aggressive armed patrols of ballot boxes and pervasive doubts about election legitimacy are increasing the threat of election violence and risk deterring voters in Arizona. Unabashed election deniers are running for governor, secretary of state, and attorney general – and all have a solid chance of prevailing.

• While the risks are significant, turnout and engagement may be high, particularly among women. In battleground states, registration by women has surged. As I discussed on Morning Joe in October alongside Leadership Now member Tom Rogers, addressing the priorities of independent women will be critical.

How are business leaders responding to the threats?

Leaders unite from Michigan, Wisconsin, and beyond, but much more is needed.

• Wisconsin business leaders set clear democracy standards. A few weeks ago, bipartisan Leadership Now Wisconsin members gave a questionnaire to each candidate for Governor to confirm their commitment to certifying elections without bias. Only Governor Evers made that commitment; Michels didn’t respond. Watch what they had to say below and read about it here.

• Michigan business leaders support the Promote the Vote Ballot Initiative. The Detroit Regional Chamber and business leaders in the state endorsed the November ballot initiative, which protects access to voting and reduces the politicization of elections.

• The Electoral Count Act has a strong chance of passing in the lame-duck session, backed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Leadership Now and our members have endorsed reforming the ECA, as has the Partnership for New York City, Business Roundtable, and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

• We joined a massive response to the Supreme Court Moore v. Harper case that could give state legislatures unprecedented control over elections. Read Leadership Now's amicus brief. We joined more than 60 groups and individuals submitting amicus briefs last week, including former generals, state attorneys general, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the US solicitor general herself. Our brief uniquely makes the case that independent state legislatures would create substantial risks to businesses and markets through gerrymandering and election interference. Oral arguments for the case start on December 7.

What can you do?

Be prepared and vote.

1) First, be prepared not to know all of the results on Election Night. Several key states – including Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – do not allow the counting of mail-in ballots until Election Day or the day before. Other states, including New York and California, can take days to tally mail-in ballots, which can be postmarked through Election Day. While much is uncertain, if history is a guide, it will likely be a night where Democrats lose more than they win (the party not occupying the White House usually does well in midterm elections). Election violence or refusal to accept results by local or even statewide election boards is possible, and lawsuits are almost guaranteed.

2) Vote early or make a plan to vote on Election Day. It may seem obvious, but it must be said. Encourage your family, friends, networks, and employees to act on their civic duty and make a voting plan.

3) Support candidates that meet the Principled Candidate standard and commit to free, fair, and secure elections. We've continued our practice, started in 2018, of highlighting a list of extraordinary, highly-qualified candidates for Congress.

4) No matter what happens in the election, the ECA and the Supreme Court Independent State Legislature case will be critical to the conduct of future elections. Make your voice heard by engaging your members of Congress or publicly speaking out on these and other democracy issues.

5) Read on to learn about our new State Democracy Report Card, and for the latest Leadership Now news and recommended reads.

Thanks again for your commitment and leadership.

Best,
Daniella

Democracy Report Card: What Grade Did Your State Get?

Leading up to the midterm election, we’ve worked with our network of business, academic and civic leaders to create a state-level Democracy Report Card. Specifically, our research team assigned a letter grade to each state based on its democratic performance across three critical categories: voting, electoral systems, and campaign finance.  

With our research, your business can make more informed decisions on political influence and philanthropy.  

Top 3 Lessons  

1. Every state, regardless of the dominant party, can make improvements to ensure elections are modernized, secure, accessible, and transparent.  

2. Many aspects of a state’s democratic performance are tied together; addressing one issue can lead to improvements in other aspects. For example – increasing mail-in voting access can decrease voting wait times and increase voter turnout, generating an improvement in voting through an improvement in electoral systems.  

3. Challenges in democratic performance aren’t endemic to either red or blue states; most states rank poorly, with the majority receiving a “C” grade.

Here is a list of our key states and a brief analysis of their score:  

• Michigan (86%) Michigan has improved its elections measurably via citizen-led ballot initiatives over the last several years. Its independent redistricting commission has led to fair legislative and congressional districts, and its automatic voter registration system has led to high voter registration. Michigan does less well in the campaign finance section, with relatively high campaign contribution limits and higher than average dark money spending. 

• Massachusetts (82%) Massachusetts has enacted strong laws supporting access to voting; however, its political culture at the state legislative level of few contested races, racial disparity in voter participation, and loopholes in campaign finance laws offer opportunities for improvements. 

• California (82%)  California’s laws around voting access are strong, with significant opportunities for voting by mail. The state also has an independent redistricting commission to create fair maps. Unfortunately, there is a history of relatively low voter registration and turnout, along with higher than average racial disparities in turnout. 

• Georgia (78%) Georgia has been moving in the wrong direction around voting access, with recent laws enacted that make voting more difficult and give more power to political forces around election certification. It also has a history of long waits at the polls. On the positive side, its automatic voter registration system has led to relatively high registration rates while racial disparities around voter participation are relatively low. 

• New York (77%): Since 2019, lawmakers in New York State have made important reforms including automatic voter registration, enabling those on probation and parole to vote, online voter registration, and early voting. These reforms have significantly improved New York’s rating. What hinders the rating is the state constitutional prohibition on “no excuse” absentee voting, the very high contribution limits for statewide offices, long waiting times at the polls, and general low participation rates.  

• Pennsylvania  (75%) Pennsylvania has significant opportunities for improvement. Its lack of any limits for campaign contributions to statewide candidates is out of sync with most other states; its relatively low voter registration rate and lack of an automatic voter registration system are a concern; and on the positive side, Pennsylvania courts have struck down partisan gerrymandering schemes which have led to much fairer legislative and congressional districts. 

• Wisconsin (75%) Wisconsin has terribly gerrymandered state legislative and congressional districts and no automatic voter registration, along with significant racial disparities in turnout (a very high percentage of voters of color live in Milwaukee, where participation is historically low). The state also has high campaign contribution limits and significant dark money spends. On the positive side, of those who are registered, turnout is overall very high compared with other states.  

• Texas (70%): The Lone Star State has a grim history of voter turnout, especially in primaries and midterms. The state legislature has restricted voting by mail; requires voter IDs; limits “drive-thru voting;” outlaws 24-hour polling locations; has no online voter registration process; and does not require accessible polling places near colleges.  

For the full rankings, metrics and sources, and actions you can take with this data, visit the 2022 Democracy Report Card. Additionally, in the weeks following the next election, we will do follow-up analysis to see how this report card did or did not predict voting and campaign finance in the midterms.   

5 Articles about Democracy You Must Read Before the Midterms

At Leadership Now, we understand there is an influx of news from a wide variety of sources about democracy. Therefore, we regularly curate the latest, trustworthy information from our members, researchers, and media sources into this Democracy Digest.

Latest Democracy News

Why Business Leaders Should Take an Active Role in Preserving Democracy

At Fast Company’s Innovation Festival, execs from Edelman, the Leadership Now Project, and Seventh Generation discussed how leaders should weigh in on thorny social issues.

Former NFL Commissioner Stresses Need to Protect Democracy

"No outside adversary, no internal critic, no individual or institution, and no ideology—can be permitted to destroy or diminish our democracy," states former NFL commissioner and LNP member Paul Tagliabue in his recent Newsweek article.

Corporate America Has Embraced ‘Both Sides’ Political Spending - That Has to Stop

In this article, we make the business case and provide a pathway for updating political giving practices.

Independent Women Hold the Keys to Power in the Midterms

Women who don't identify as Republican or Democrat will make the greatest difference in key 2022 congressional race outcomes. LNP member Tom Rogers shares findings on their viewpoints from our recent survey in this article.

Wisconsin Business Execs praise Gov. Evers for Pledging to Accept Election Results

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featured a new ad produced by Project Democracy PAC last week. Four Wisconsin business leaders, including members Anoop Prakash and John Florsheim, made the business case for why they support Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. The ad will run through election day. Our members Kahlil Byrd, Patrick McGinnis, and Minh-Thu Pham are directors of the PAC, which is endorsing a slate of democracy-focused candidates in the midterm elections.

A Little Something Extra…

We know that the seriousness of our current social and political environment can be draining; therefore, we also regularly highlight something of interest beyond the need-to-know updates. This week, we are featuring the Broadway revival of The 1776 Project. “This new 1776 means less to reanimate the nation’s founding than to talk back—or even down—to it,” writes Jane Kamensky, the Trumbull Professor of American History at Harvard.

Leadership Now Applauds Lawmakers Reforming the Electoral Count Act

Leadership Now Project joins business leaders and associations across America, including the Partnership for New York City, Business Roundtable, and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), in support of legislation reforming the Electoral Count Act. 

As business leaders, we know firsthand that the health of our economy and markets rests on the founding principle of our democracy: free and fair elections. The aftermath of the 2020 election revealed significant weaknesses in our system, threatening the stability of our nation. The bipartisan framework addresses vulnerabilities, protects election workers, ensures a peaceful transition of power, and is a critical step to preserving the trust and confidence in American democracy.

Our organization applauds the bipartisan group of lawmakers and staff who have worked together to craft and advance this legislation. If you would like to learn more and support our efforts, please contact Gretta Determann. 

Wisconsin Business Leaders Speak Out on the Importance of Democracy

Wisconsin LNP members John Florshiem and Sachin Shivaram recently released an op-ed urging business leaders to take action and protect American democracy. Florshiem is the president of Weyco Group and Shivaram is CEO of Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry. Below are highlights from the article.

• After the January 6, insurrection, businesses across the country overwhelmingly spoke out against the events, including implementing policies to prohibit providing funding election objectors.

• These actions played an important role in ensuring a peaceful transition of power.

• However, since the insurrection, threats to our democracy have continued. These threats have a direct impact on market stability and economic growth.

• Because they have a variety of stakeholders, businesses are put in the difficult position of deciding if and how to act when threats to democracy occur.

• Business leaders must use their collective voice to ensure political stability and adherence to the rule of law.

“We also know that the tempation to turn a blind eye — to believe this is not a problem of ours — is strong. But it is wrong.”

— John Florsheim & Sachin Shivaram

Read the full op-ed here.

Vote for Democracy at SXSW 2023

South by Southwest (SXSW), deemed “one of the largest and most influential gatherings on the planet'“, returns to Austin, TX March 10-19, 2023. Launched in 1997, SXSW has featured countless disruptive tech innovations, groundbreaking music and film, and influential keynotes, from Lady Gaga to President Obama. But what does this have to do with democracy? That depends on you!

You can play an integral part in shaping SXSW 2023 programming. Community voting is now open, and votes from the general public will make up 30% of the final programming decision. There are a number of panels in the running this year focused on democracy, public policy, civic engagement and social impact, many of which feature our very own LNP members. See below for the highlights and cast your vote by August 21!

Navigating the Current Political Climate

Description: Business leaders today face many challenges, including consumer and employee demands to respond to the headlines and today’s polarized political environment. We’ll share tools and case studies used by top crisis communication experts and hear from a diverse group of speakers. The workshop will introduce the origins of our political discontent and conclude with non-partisan actions businesses and individuals can take to address partisan discord and promote a strong democracy.

Speakers: Marjorie Clifton, Chief Communications Officer, Leadership Now Project; Rawi Abdelal, Herbert F. Johnson Professor of International Management at Harvard Business School and the Emma Bloomberg Co-Chair of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, Harvard Business School; Katherine Cousins, President, Sperry (plus Keds & PRO-Keds)

Can Innovation & Entrepreneurs Save Our Elections?

Description: Our democracy has been ravaged by a two-party system that leaves voters apathetic, or forced to choose between the lesser of two evils. Whether you’re concerned about the climate, privacy, inequality, or individual freedoms, solutions seem impossible when they’re caught up in dysfunctional partisan politics. It’s no wonder that a majority of eligible voters, including more than half of Millennials and Gen Z, say the major parties don’t represent them and they’re looking for systemic fixes to repair our election process. Join us for a frank conversation among community organizers and nonprofit leaders building or advocating for innovative tools for election reform. Learn how you can help change the rules and disrupt the current broken system, creating a brighter future for all!

Speakers: Todd Connor, CEO, Veterans for Political Innovation; Farhad Mohit, Founder, Good Party; Nathan Lockwood, Executive Director, Rank the Vote; Danielle Allen, Principle Investigator, Democratic Knowledge Project at Harvard University

Risk vs. Reward: When Bold Brands Take a Stand

Description: Your business is operating in an increasingly complex social and political environment where both action and inaction on hot topics like abortion, democracy, and equity pose real risks. But by approaching these issues with a strategic business lens, you can minimize the threats of employee dissatisfaction, consumer boycotts, investor pressure, and political retribution, while maximizing the opportunity to do good for people and the planet. This session gives you the proven frameworks, bold case studies, and access to the network of change agents needed to launch or enhance your corporate social impact efforts. Specifically, we’ll help you determine the “right” causes; launch meaningful philanthropic, political influence and communications programs; and measure your impact.
Speaker: Deirdre Walsh, CEO, IGC

Corporate Activism: Speaking Out and Taking Action

Description: Corporate social responsibility has become mainstream, ESG practices have reshaped business approaches, and, more recently, diversity, equity, and inclusion have become foundational efforts. Civic engagement is both a natural evolution of this trajectory and an urgent response to threats to democracy. Amalgamated Bank, Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia serve as models for how businesses can use their platform to speak out for social justice and leverage their relationships (investors, customers, employees, board members, vendors, stakeholders) to have an impact on those issues.
Panelists will discuss how corporations have the opportunity, and responsibility, to join with other corporate and nonprofit leaders and other stakeholders in addressing social issues.

Speakers: Priscilla Sims Brown, President and CEO, Amalgamated Bank; Corley Kenna, Head of Communications and Policy, Patagonia; Christopher Miller, Head of Global Activism Strategy, Ben & Jerry's

The Future of American Democracy: What’s At Stake

Description: Under our current electoral rules, candidates are rewarded for extreme, anti-democratic views that put them in positions of power. Something must change, but what? The Electoral College, gerrymandering, zero-sum ballots and winner-take-all rules are all breaking our democracy and we deserve bold solutions. Congressman Jamie Raskin, Harvard’s Danielle Allen, and FairVote’s long-time CEO Rob Richie will discuss the problem and propose bold, yet viable solutions - from a comprehensive constitutional amendment to statutory changes like the Fair Representation Act, Ranked Choice Voting and the National Popular Vote plan. Attendees will hear Raskin’s powerful personal story, learn more about the challenges we face, and hear how to make powerful changes on the local, state and national level.

Speakers: Rob Richie, CEO and President, FairVote; Jamie Raskin, Congressman, House of Representatives; Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University/Director of Harvard’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University

Postmortem: Voter Suppression & the 2022 Election

Description: In response to the massive turnout in 2020, some state legislatures passed aggressive voter suppression legislation that closed polling locations, shortened the window for early voting, and eliminated drop box locations. These bills in states like Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, and Ohio target black and brown communities, young people, and poor people so that voting will be more difficult in the 2022 midterms. Without national voting rights legislation, we are left to out-organize even more in red and purple states. Join our panel of voting rights experts and organizers for a conversation about how these voter suppression tactics impact ongoing elections and the 2022 midterms, and how we can all advocate for more fair elections to protect our democracy.

Speakers: Liz Walters, Chairwoman, The Ohio Democratic Party; Marcus Bass, Executive Director, Advance North Carolina; Jeremy Smith, CEO & Founder, Civitech; Kendra Cotton, Chief Operations Officer, New Georgia Project

The New Actionists: Brands Driving Social Impact

Description: The New Actionists is a discussion that will lead attendees through the dynamics of how brands are leveraging their own platforms, communities, data and technology to take stands and drive impact. Not five years ago, corporations stayed away from hot-button issues, encouraging employees to keep their politics at home. Today, more companies are compelled, even required, to pursue ESG platforms and take stands that matter to their employees, customers and mission. This discussion features organizational leaders who have had unique opportunities to pursue global-policy-shifting, triple-bottom-line outcomes, and even advocacy, as part and parcel of their day jobs.

Speakers: Bart Myers, Founder and CEO, Countable; Corley Kenna, Head of Communications and Policy, Patagonia; Rob Jekielek, Managing Director, The Harris Poll; Jennifer Warren, VP, Global Brand Marketing, Indeed

Participatory Democracy in the Age of Polarization

Description: We are living in an era of rampant polarization, disinformation, and institutional mistrust that has created unprecedented stakes for the future of democracy. We need solutions that bridge divides while furnishing new frameworks for resilient participatory governments. In this panel, we speak with the architects of America in One Room (A1R), a landmark democratic reform effort that has brought together record-setting samples of the American voting electorate to participate in respectful political discourse. Lauded by Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, A1R has radically reduced polarization and increased civic engagement among participants. This panel will explore the power of Deliberative Polling, the mechanism behind A1R, to catalyze democracy for the people, by the people.

Speakers: Henry Elkus, CEO and Founder, Elle Communications; Jim Fiskin, Director, Center for Deliberative Democracy; Alice Siu, Associate Director, Center for Deliberative Democracy 

2023: Democracy Is Worth The Fight

Description: We are at an inflection point in American democracy. As people demand more from their government and push for a vibrant and bold democracy, far-right movements that do not represent the majority of Americans have gained outsized political power in states, communities, and even at the Supreme Court, seeking to prevent positive change and reverse progress. What we do now will determine the future of people and democracy. While the playbook for this moment remains to be written, history provides a roadmap of how people have fought against long odds for democracy and won. This panel will feature a discussion about the fight for democracy’s future in the states-and the courts-in the face of the political realities of 2023 and the legacy of the late Rep. Barbara Jordan.

Speakers: President and CEO, Democracy Forward; Tayhlor Coleman, individual, individual; Shawn Thierry, Representative, Texas House of Representatives Elected Official

Imagineering American Democracy 2050

Description: Forget the 2022 elections or even 2024. How can we rethink American democracy to create a 21st century version that works well for the populous, diverse, multiracial country that we have become? The United States today is a gigantic country (only China and India have more people) and a highly heterogenous one at that. Unfortunately, our existing systems of electing those who represent us increasingly don't seem to do a very good job of producing people who actually represent us or our interests. Are there alternatives such as proportional representation or multi-member districts or top 4 primaries (or others) that would do better? And how do we get there when faced with an uninterested and often hostile political class, not to mention openly antagonistic courts?

Speakers: Michael Li, Senior Counsel, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law; Moon Duchin, Professor, Tufts University; Lee Drutman, Senior Fellow, New America; Todd Henricks, Data & Research Analyst, NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund

How Our Democracy Impacts Our Health

Description: The American Medical Association recently affirmed Voting as a Social Determinant of Health. How did they get here and what does this mean? How can strengthening our democracy improve the health of our country? And how can doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals innovate within their roles to contribute to the foundations of trust in our political systems? Join to learn more.

Speaker: Aliya Bhatia, Executive Director, Vot-ER

Redefining Corporate Leadership to Meet the Moment

Description: The past few years have given rise to critical moments in our society that have birthed social movements. Corporations have very publicly committed themselves in those moments to furthering social progress. But how can companies successfully embed themselves in the work of doing good for the long-run, while moving from commitments to measurable impactful outcomes? Hear from a panel of experts about the opportunities and hurdles to advancing stakeholder-centric approaches that help companies maintain relevance and be a force for good, long-term.

Speakers: Ashley Marchand Orme, Director, Corporate Equity, JUST Capital; Lisa Osborne Ross, Chief Executive Officer, U.S., Edelman; Kelly McGinnis, Senior Vice President & Chief Communications Officer, Levi Strauss & Co.; Julia Boorstin, CNBC Senior Media & Technology Correspondent and Author of "When Women Lead", CNBC

Beyond Philanthropy: CSR in the Social Justice Era

Description: Gone are the days when companies could just cut a check to an executive’s favorite non-profit and check a box to say that they are “doing good.” In today’s complex social environment, employees, customers, investors, and other corporate stakeholders are more closely scrutinizing how companies give back to the community and address social issues. To make a true impact, companies must look at the issue they’re addressing holistically, and be willing to engage in an authentic, meaningful way with comprehensive programs, spanning internal policies, philanthropy, and public policy engagement. This session will provide you with the best practices on how to create a robust, meaningful, and defendable corporate social impact program.

Speaker: Jackie Padgett, COO, IGC

Entrepreneurship for Good: The New Competitive Edge

Description: The future economy isn’t just about quarterly profits. It’s centered on products and services that meet societal needs and contribute to the greater good. As businesses transform and new entrepreneurs emerge, they must prioritize issues like sustainability, responsible stewardship, and more equitable corporate structures. These are things that today’s consumers don’t just expect — they demand them. We must empower our youth with entrepreneurial skills to become leaders who solve complex problems that spark social change, creating value for shareholders, employees, and society. This new wave of entrepreneurs is crucial to a thriving economy.

Speakers: Stacey Ross Cohen, CEO, Co-Communications, inc; Marc Steren, Co Founder and Co-CEO, University Startups; Craig Vezina, Co Founder and Co-CEO, The Spaceship, President & Founder, The Z-17 Collective, The Spaceship; Z-17 Collective; Arooj Sheikh, CEO, Covo.io