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American Institutions Network

From 2019-2019, R Street’s American Institutions Network (AIN) focused on the protection of democratic norms and American institutions by fostering discussions, partnerships and action. A collaborative discussion group, AIN aimed to shift today’s policy discussions away from politically-charged headlines to focus on the underlying institutional and cultural shifts that are threatening America’s form of government. Our points of focus were:

 

Congress as the First Branch: Congress must provide a real check of power to the executive branch and assert its place as the “first branch”, ensuring that the executive operates within legal, ethical and statutory bounds. Congress must retain its ability to legislate through normal, established, and traditional legislative procedure and channels.

 

Professional, Honest Government Institutions: Government agencies must not be used to monitor, attack, or punish political opponents. Regulatory structures must be appropriate, unilateral, and long-term. Information that is being used to inform decision making must be reliable and accurate. Information provided by government officials should be honest and grounded in empirical fact.

 

An Independent Judiciary: America’s judicial branch must be respected as apolitical, including, but not limited to, rejecting outcome-based views of justice and politicization.

 

A Free Press: The press must be identified and seen as a viable check on political power rather than a political propaganda tool itself. It must be re-established as an institution of our republic.

 

Civil, Loyal Opposition: Political dialogue and debate are essential to America’s form of government. As such, mutual tolerance, the understanding that competing parties accept one another as legitimate, should be consistently practiced. Information that is released to the public and used in public discourse by our political leaders must be trusted as true and accurate. Additionally, forbearance, or the idea that election-winners exercise respectful and appropriate restraint when wielding power rather than treating politics as winner-take-all, is necessary for the continuation of national stability.

Filter Listing

In the News Democratic Institutions, Electoral Reform, Federal Government Affairs, Governance

Electoral Federalism: Centralized or Decentralized Elections?

Matt Germer Nov 14, 2022 Constitutional Conversations
In the News Democratic Institutions, Federal Government Affairs, Governance

High inflation locked in as major campaign headwind for Dems: ‘Motivating issue’

Matt Germer Oct 17, 2022 Fox Business
In the News Democratic Institutions, Federal Government Affairs, Governance, Political Civility, Restoring the First Branch

Radio: What Senator Ben Sasse’s Retirement Means for Republicans

James Wallner Oct 14, 2022 Inside Sources with Boyd Matheson
In the News Democratic Institutions, Federal Government Affairs, Governance, Restoring the First Branch

Sasse’s expected exit shrinks Senate’s anti-Trump wing

James Wallner Oct 11, 2022 The Hill
Coalition Letters Competition & Antitrust, Competition Policy, Federal Government Affairs, Free Press, Governance, Media Reform, Online Content Policy, Regulatory Reform, Technology and Innovation

Groups Urge Senators to Oppose JCPA

Josh Withrow Sept 27, 2022
Podcasts Democratic Institutions, Electoral Reform, Federal Government Affairs, Governance, Politics in Question Podcast, Transparency

Podcast: How does electoral reform happen?

James Wallner Sept 14, 2022 Politics in Question
Op-Eds Democratic Institutions, Federal Government Affairs, Governance

There Is No App for Self-Government

James Wallner Feb 11, 2020 Law & Liberty
Testimony American Institutions Network, Democratic Institutions, Federal Government Affairs, Governance, Restoring the First Branch

Testimony on Federal Whistleblowers

Paul Rosenzweig Jan 28, 2020
News American Institutions Network, Democratic Institutions, Federal Government Affairs

116th House of Representatives Impeaches President Trump along Party Lines

Aubrey Neal Dec 19, 2019
Op-Eds American Institutions Network, Cybersecurity Policy, Federal Government Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Governance

Trump impeachment: Obstruction of Congress charge will define our future as a nation

Paul Rosenzweig Dec 11, 2019 USA Today

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