Our democracy is rooted in our norms, laws, and institutions: free and fair elections, representative government, adherence to the rule of law, the guarantee of individual civil rights and liberties. But in a genuine democracy, everyday people – not a narrow, minority of elites or wealthy individuals and institutions – drive government decisions. How? Everyday people acting individually rarely have the capacity to make government responsive to their interests. They need to organize with others to build collective power and take action together to assert their interests effectively in public life. Civic leaders are people who take responsibility for organizing others to discern and act on their collective interests. Leaders build a base of followers who, when they act strategically and cohesively, have the power to influence political and economic decisions, to shape laws and their application and the behaviors and actions of private sector institutions.

‍