Democracy Matters

Democracy Matters, a non-partisan campus-based national student organization, works to get big private money out of politics and people back in. Offering paid internships to undergraduates and affiliate internships to high school students, Democracy Matters mentors the next generation of leaders dedicated to strengthening our democracy. Students organize actions and projects connecting pro-democracy reforms to issues of environment, civil rights, education, health care, foreign policy, and more. Democracy Matters, was founded in 2001 by NBA basketball player, poet, and activist Adonal Foyle and his parents, Joan and Jay Mandle, both of whom are Colgate University professors and life-long organizers. Our mission is to strengthen democracy by: (1) training young people how to be effective grassroots organizers and advocates, and (2) supporting public financing of election campaigns (“fair elections”) and other pro-democracy reforms. Student activism is essential to achieving the political reform that our country needs. Our national network of Campus Leaders and Democracy Matters Chapters mobilizes student ideas and enthusiasm to energize the national movement for campaign finance and democratic reform. Democracy Matters chapters across the country work to remove the corrosive and corrupting influence of big private money in the political process. Our vision is a democracy that includes and is accountable to all voters – not just big campaign contributors. The Democracy Matters Institute, Inc. is organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The materials posted on this website are educational in purpose. The problems cited therein are with the electoral finance system. The Democracy Matters Institute does not intend to target any specific politician or party.