The 2020 election is one of the great civic achievements of modern American history. In the face of a global pandemic, working on a tight timeline and with relatively little money, election administrators across the country pulled off a remarkably smooth election with record turnout. Despite concerns of foreign interference, voter intimidation, and political violence, the election was largely devoid of such problems.
Philanthropy and civil society played a vital role in ensuring the successful administration of the election, registering voters, supporting a safe and secure election, recruiting poll workers, providing food to voters waiting in long lines, and even covering some election administration costs for the first time in American history.
Despite the success of the election, President Trump’s refusal thus far to accept his defeat to President-Elect Joe Biden makes clear that the days, weeks, and months ahead hold great peril for American democracy. Trump’s legal strategy may be unserious — he has yet to win a single meaningful case. But he has persuaded a significant portion of his base that Democrats stole the election, and he is being abetted in this falsehood by a number of prominent Republicans such as Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Ted Cruz of Texas. Thousands of Trump supporters have turned out for “Stop the Steal” protests in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and other states.
None of this is unexpected. The president’s actions since Election Day were largely anticipated by the Transition Integrity Project, a scenario-planning effort that explored vulnerabilities to the election and presidential transition. While it is difficult to imagine Trump successfully overturning the election results at this point, he could still do lasting damage to the system if he acts in some of the ways anticipated by the project, such as pushing Republican-controlled state legislatures to appoint presidential electors against the expressed will of the public or pressuring Attorney General William Barr and the Justice Department to legitimize the notion of widespread voting fraud. Even though Biden has won the presidential election, the contest will not officially conclude until the Electoral College casts its votes and those votes are recorded by Congress.
Foundation Warnings
Before the election, more than 120 philanthropic leaders signed a letter calling for elected officials and others to uphold their responsibilities to American democracy during this fraught time. Foundations and individual donors gave tens of millions of dollars to ensure the integrity of the vote. And since November 3, grant makers such as the Democracy Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Kresge Foundation have issued statements reiterating the need to respect the will of the people.
But it’s clear more needs to be done as our nation navigates the transition to a new government while still under a president who refuses to concede or abide by democratic norms. Concerned donors can support the critical work happening now and in the months ahead in three phases:
Immediate. The Biden Fight Fund, a partnership between the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee, is handling most of the litigation initiated by the Trump campaign. However, given the frivolous nature of many of these lawsuits, litigation is unlikely to have much impact on the election’s outcome or broader democratic norms, values, and institutions.
More concerning are Republican voters and elected officials who refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of Biden’s victory. Philanthropy can fund a range of public communications efforts to help counteract false narratives. For example, Issue One’s Count Every Vote campaign aims to reach persuadable Republicans about the resolution of the election. Donors can also support efforts to prevent political violence and disrupt the spread of conspiracy theories and other disinformation.
Transition. When control of the executive branch shifts from Trump to Biden on January 20, 2021, the new administration will need to be ready to govern on day one. While the Biden transition team has worked behind the scenes for months, it won’t get access to full federal resources until the administrator of the General Services Administration, a Trump appointee, signs the necessary paperwork. So far she has refused to do that, delaying the process unnecessarily and potentially undermining what will already be a difficult transition. Biden has also been denied access to the President’s Daily Brief, a key source of intelligence for the president-elect.
If President Trump refuses to support the transition process, or proactively takes steps to damage it, the impact could be long-lasting. Donors can bolster an effective transition by supporting the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition, a nonpartisan group that advises both the White House and the Biden transition team. Government watchdog groups such as the Project on Government Oversight also need resources to ensure the Trump administration upholds its legal obligations during the transition.
Post-inauguration. It has been clear for some time that no matter who won the presidential election, we would face a generational fight to renew and sustain American democracy. Too many Americans have understandably lost faith in our democratic system. Hyper-polarization makes it increasingly difficult to govern. Inequality, racism, voter suppression, and gerrymandering prevent equal participation in democracy. Demographic sorting, a lack of civic unity, and a fractured news environment plagued by misinformation and conspiracy theories undermine our shared national project.
If the Senate remains under Republican control, it will be difficult for the Biden administration to pass needed improvements on democracy issues. But there will be opportunities for cross-ideological agreement on some of these issues, led by groups such as the Brennan Center for Justice, Issue One, Protect Democracy, and R Street. Many state and local efforts on issues such as redistricting and campaign finance will persist as well and need continued support. Pro-democracy forces must also reimagine and fight for the values of liberal democracy so that partisanship does not further erode fundamental democratic ideals. New publications such as Persuasion and American Purpose, which seek to defend and promote liberal democracy and the values of a free society, are already hard at work on this front and should be expanded to generate a robust public dialogue.
As difficult as it is to imagine, we’ll need to find ways to engage in good faith with our political opponents. This election made clear once again that our nation is deeply divided. But in a democracy, we can’t simply write off half of our fellow citizens. Philanthropy and civil society are well positioned to help, with nonprofits such as Braver Angels, the Greater Good Science Center, More in Common, and the One America Movement testing strategies that lessen polarization on a large scale. Philanthropic organizations such as the Einhorn Collaborative are leading the way.
After four years of concerted effort to protect American democracy, and a long and bruising election season, donors are understandably exhausted. But no one ever said fighting for democracy was quick or easy. The integrity of this year’s election demonstrates that philanthropy can indeed help renew our democracy. If we remain committed, many more remarkable civic achievements lie ahead.
