![[Organizations 01.png]] Here are some key **organizations and movements** leading efforts to **defend democracy** and **resist authoritarianism** in the U.S.: --- ### **1. Election Protection & Voting Rights** These groups work to ensure **free and fair elections**: - **[Fair Fight Action](https://fairfight.com/)** – Founded by Stacey Abrams, fights voter suppression nationwide. - **[Brennan Center for Justice](https://www.brennancenter.org/)** – Researches and advocates for voting rights and fair elections. - **[Common Cause](https://www.commoncause.org/)** – Works on redistricting reform, ethics in government, and voting access. - **[League of Women Voters](https://www.lwv.org/)** – Empowers voters and defends democracy through advocacy and education. - **[Election Protection (866-OUR-VOTE)](https://866ourvote.org/)** – Nonpartisan coalition providing voter assistance and monitoring elections. --- ### **2. Government Accountability & Anti-Corruption** To combat corruption and uphold **government transparency**: - **[Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)](https://www.citizensforethics.org/)** – Investigates and exposes government corruption. - **[Project on Government Oversight (POGO)](https://www.pogo.org/)** – Monitors government abuses and advocates for policy reforms. - **[Sunlight Foundation](https://sunlightfoundation.com/)** – Promotes open government and transparency in campaign finance. - **[Public Citizen](https://www.citizen.org/)** – Fights corporate influence in politics and advocates for democracy reform. --- ### **3. Civil Resistance & Direct Action** For those who want to **actively resist authoritarianism**: - **[Indivisible](https://indivisible.org/)** – Grassroots network organizing against authoritarian policies and voter suppression. - **[Protect Democracy](https://protectdemocracy.org/)** – Legal and advocacy group fighting democratic backsliding. - **[MoveOn](https://front.moveon.org/)** – Mobilizes large-scale protests and digital activism campaigns. - **[DemCast USA](https://demcastusa.com/)** – Grassroots media network combating disinformation and organizing activism. - **[Momentum](https://momentumcommunity.org/)** – Trains activists in strategic nonviolent movements. --- ### **4. Civil Rights & Community Protection** These organizations defend **marginalized groups**, a key tactic in resisting authoritarianism: - **[ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)](https://www.aclu.org/)** – Defends constitutional rights, including voting, free speech, and protest rights. - **[Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)](https://www.splcenter.org/)** – Tracks hate groups and fights systemic racism. - **[NAACP Legal Defense Fund](https://www.naacpldf.org/)** – Works on racial justice, voting rights, and legal advocacy. - **[Human Rights Campaign](https://www.hrc.org/)** – Advocates for LGBTQ+ rights in the political and legal system. - **[National Lawyers Guild (NLG)](https://www.nlg.org/)** – Provides legal support for activists and protest movements. --- ### **5. Independent Journalism & Countering Disinformation** To **combat authoritarian propaganda**, support these media groups: - **[ProPublica](https://www.propublica.org/)** – Investigative journalism exposing corruption and abuses of power. - **[The Center for Investigative Reporting](https://revealnews.org/)** – In-depth reporting on democracy and rights issues. - **[Media Matters for America](https://www.mediamatters.org/)** – Tracks and counters right-wing disinformation. - **[Free Press](https://www.freepress.net/)** – Advocates for independent media and fights censorship. - **[The GroundTruth Project](https://thegroundtruthproject.org/)** – Trains the next generation of journalists in truth-based reporting. --- ### **6. Legislative Reform & Policy Change** For long-term **structural democracy reforms**: - **[End Citizens United](https://endcitizensunited.org/)** – Advocates for campaign finance reform to limit big money in politics. - **[Fix Our Senate](https://www.fixoursenate.org/)** – Works to end the filibuster and break gridlock in Congress. - **[Campaign Legal Center](https://campaignlegal.org/)** – Legal advocacy group for ethics and voting rights. - **[RepresentUs](https://represent.us/)** – Works to pass anti-corruption laws at state and local levels. --- ### **7. National and Local Grassroots Democracy Groups** For **local activism and organizing**, consider: - **[Swing Left](https://swingleft.org/)** – Mobilizes volunteers to flip state and federal elections toward democracy. - **[Democracy Docket](https://www.democracydocket.com/)** – Legal advocacy group fighting for voting rights in courts. - **[People Power (by ACLU)](https://peoplepower.org/)** – Organizes grassroots resistance to authoritarianism. - **[Unrig the System](https://unrig.net/)** – A coalition dedicated to ending gerrymandering and voter suppression. --- ### **Final Steps: What You Can Do Right Now** 1. **Sign up for alerts & volunteer** – Choose an organization above and get involved. 2. **Donate strategically** – Support groups focused on high-impact democracy protection. 3. **Educate your network** – Share credible sources and combat disinformation. 4. **Plan for action** – Know your rights, register to vote, and be ready to mobilize.