I’m worried about democracy, but what can I do? It doesn’t seem like anything can make a difference, and I’m busy with other things.
Thriving Democracy offers you the opportunity to take simple actions to defend democracy. We make it easy to take a few minutes each month to pressure corporations to live up to their pledge to support democracy. We’re asking that you contact one corporation per month, and provide you with a contact form and boilerplate email text to help you do it.
Thinking about threats to our democracy causes me stress and anxiety. How will I feel if I get involved in Thriving Democracy’s monthly actions?
Studies have shown that taking action is the best antidote to worry. The most effective actions, the ones that have the greatest chance of making a difference, come from organizing with other people. You can take our simple recommended action every month and be confident that your voice is amplified by joining in with others.
Why focus on corporations?
Corporations have power, with big budgets and professional marketing teams. However, corporations are also very sensitive to customer concerns and don’t like bad publicity. Many corporations have pledged to help uphold democracy by refusing to financially support insurrectionist politicians. We want to hold them to their promise.
How will my action make a difference?
The purpose of our ads and billboards is to organize enough people to get the attention of that month’s chosen corporation. By contacting them using this website, you let them know that the public is watching, the public cares, and their reputation is at risk.
How can corporations influence politicians and elections?
Corporate campaign contributions can determine who wins an election. Corporations who fund the campaigns can often amplify politicians in the public eye and influence them in the way they make decisions.
If corporations have so much influence, why would they want to help protect democracy?
Corporations are run by people, and those people have a lot to lose in a dictatorship. It is very common for Dictators to seize companies and put their owners in jail. Dictators don’t like other powerful people who could challenge them. People who run and own corporations have a lot to lose if we lose our democracy.
Are there other corporations that we could target in addition to the one we are currently?
Yes, here is a whole list of companies that have broken their pledges to protect democracy. You can contact them yourself, and we also intend to select a different company to send messages to in the future.
Who are the insurrectionists and why does it matter?
Insurrectionist politicians, sometimes called the Sedition Caucus, are the 147 senators and congressmembers who refused to certify votes for President in the 2020 election, voting to take away the votes of people in swing states like Arizona and Pennsylvania. By refusing to acknowledge state-certified election results, members of Congress were substituting their preferences for those of the voters. Had they succeeded, we would have had a dictator instead of a president.
What would happen if we lost the vote?
If our votes don’t matter, politicians will stop caring about what the people want; they won’t need our approval anymore. We will live in a Dictatorship. In a true Dictatorship, people are jailed for speaking out, and there is no recourse if you are treated unfairly. Dictators tend to enrich themselves and neglect regular people. People who live in dictatorships are miserable.
Will this simple action really be enough to solve the problem?
Definitely not. But to solve a big problem like protecting democracy, we need lots of projects and we need everyone to take part. By joining us, you are joining millions of others who are working, in various ways, to protect our future.
Are there other things I can do?
If you’re excited to take further steps toward defending democracy, there are many things you can do! Here is a link to a list of other groups working to protect democracy. It is critical to get out the vote, to focus on local elections, to sign up more voters, to write letters to the editors and more. The important thing is to focus on action.