For Democracy Reform Organizations

• US democracy reform work (organizing, advocacy, investigation) unfortunately often happens in isolation from the strong, often very relevant examples of what other peer democracy reformers have done around the world. 

• Successful anti-corruption movements around the world have been built on broad, federated, and non-partisan civil society movements, as well as willing political leadership and the ability to tap into partisan politics. 

• Electoral reforms around the world are politically complicated. Successful efforts have relied on comprehensive strategies with many simultaneous components; there are no silver bullets.

• Money in politics and influence peddling stand out as common factors in corruption cases globally. Yet much of the conduct behind the biggest scandals around the world would be legal (and often constitutionally protected) in the United States. This suggests that regulating money in politics should be a primary concern for most American democracy organizations. 

For Journalists and the Media

• Journalists should consider drawing explicit context from similar situations abroad, where overwhelming corruption scandals, rapid political realignment, or public protest movements can set useful points for comparison for current trends in the United States. 

• Deteriorating press freedom in various countries shows how an independent media can be threatened by authoritarianism, both through active suppression and through indirect politicization.

• Disinformation around the world has undermined public confidence in institutions, spread chaos, and caused violence--there is little evidence, however, that it has necessarily changed election results. Efforts to fight disinformation in various countries also suggests a risk that doing so will infringe on free speech and expression. 

• However, media literacy in public education systems is a proven tool to fight disinformation and improve trust in journalistic and public institutions, yet it is rarely discussed in the United States. 

For Concerned American Citizens

• Around the world, polarization is consistently a major threat to democratic institutions and stability. This suggests that voters in the United States should demand reform but stay firm to avoid villainizing other ideological viewpoints, and recognize opponents as legitimate voices in the political sphere, rather than as an existential threat to one’s own presence. 

• Similarities between democratic challenges around the world suggests that there are no shortcuts to a resilient and responsive government. Moreover, populist candidates offering simple narratives of how to defeat corruption have often drifted towards authoritarianism themselves. Defending democracy means speaking up and showing up, time and time again--without losing heart. 

For Political Candidates and Politicians

• Current US pathologies mirror circumstances in countries with corruption-related scandals that rocked their stability, suggesting that US democratic deficits should be considered in their international comparative context.

• Don’t give up the moral high ground. Winning at the cost of further tearing down or damaging norms--even if opponents have done so continuously--has proven in various cases to be a short-term strategy that can backfire in the long-term. 

• Public outrage over scandals can create a policy window for reform, but the opportunity must be seized quickly. At the same time, implementing reforms has not always rebuilt trust in the short term. Reformers must be prepared to weather sustained political cynicism. 

• Norms and “soft guardrails” are just as important to protecting electoral democracy as any laws, rules, or constitutional structures.