By the People, for the People
A Proposal to Reimagine U.S. Democracy

Guiding Principles

America’s strength comes from its people and the democratic values that we hold. However, our democracy is in peril and has been for some time, and is failing to deliver the quality of life and representation that Americans expect and deserve.

We believe that time is of the essence for rebuilding and reimaging our democracy. The ‘By the People, for the People’ initiative creates the nonpartisan structure to accomplish this, and is founded on the following principles:

The American People are Disillusioned and Want Change

The great experiment of American democracy is not meeting its promise, leaving a broad swath of our nation feeling disconnected, disillusioned and even angry toward their democracy and U.S. government. However, Americans are not apathetic, they care deeply about their families and their communities, and they want change that leads to better outcomes from their government.

Common Ground

The only viable path toward a strengthened democracy is one built on common ground and mutual respect. We believe that change can come about by agreeing to put aside political identities and focus on solutions for our democracy that binds us together, not drives us apart.

Grassroots Focused

It’s the American people who must now determine the path forward, not politicians or political parties. Americans themselves must be at the heart of drafting reforms and creating a movement for a more responsive democratic system that they feel truly represents them. 

Collaborative Approach

The BPP movement will be purposely and deeply collaborative, built on partnerships with a broad range of civil society organizations, coalitions and individuals who commit to working together to effect meaningful and lasting change.

Structured Opportunity

We believe that a structured and organized opportunity separate from the election cycle and unaffiliated with political parties is needed to effectively and thoughtfully explore ways to reimagine, rebuild and reform our democratic institutions. The BPP initiative creates the civic framework to accomplish this in a realistic timeline to be successful.

Broad and Representative Participation

Democracy is grounded in the idea of full and fair representation. Those involved in the BPP – from state coalitions to People’s Assembly delegates – must be representative of the population of their states.

Action-Oriented Reforms

Proposed democratic reforms must be actionable, and address clearly defined problems or offer a material/tangible improvement, not simply reforms for reforms’ sake. Proposed solutions will focus on producing better and more representative outcomes from our democratic institutions for all Americans.

Transparency and Accountability

Democratic reforms can only work when people see the process and can track outcomes. Transparency and accountability help build public trust and credibility, and will be at the heart of all BPP activities.