An unprecedented year of challenges and political upheaval, 2020, offers the opportunity for reevaluating and reforming our national governing institutions.

As political power shifts, crises take hold, and leaders grapple with how to work together to solve the nation’s problems, the contours of our institutions in Washington — how they’re structured, how they interact, and how they perform under pressure—play a defining role. At these inflection points, it is more important than ever to consider if those institutions measure up to the needs of the American people.

In ‘Rethinking Our Democracy’ — a joint initiative between Protect Democracy and the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government launched in the lead up to the 2020 election — we present, refine, and develop momentum for reforms that focus on key institutions that govern our national leadership and policy-making.

In partnership with the Washington Post’s Monkey Cage blog, we publish multi-essay explanatory series discussing reform proposals and new legislative ideas to strengthen democratic institutions and make the case for broad reforms. In addition to written pieces, we convene series authors, key advocates, and partners to discuss the merits of these reforms and the optimal strategies for their advancement.