Help Pass National Legislation to Advance Voting Rights, Curb Big Money in Politics & Combat Corruption with Declaration for American Democracy and Public Citizen

For years, we’ve seen our democracy and the power of the people diminish each day, with legislatures across the country ramping up voter suppression efforts targeting communities of color and corporate and big monied interests corrupting our politics. We saw this culminate on January 6th in the violent attack on our Capitol, but our democracy held - this time. Right now we have an opportunity to rebuild and transform our democracy for the better, into one that truly represents the American people, by passing the For the People Act (HR1/S1). 

If passed, the For the People Act would break down barriers to voting and protect and expand the right to vote, bring an end to partisan gerrymandering, increase accountability and ethics standards for office holders, and curb the influence of big money in politics. And the good news is that Congress has made sweeping democracy reform one of its main priorities this year, and at the very top of the list is the For the People Act.

The Declaration for American Democracy (DFAD) and Public Citizen are partnering to offer a highly selective internship program for the Spring semester of 2021. This program will bring together a passionate and diverse cohort from across the United States to work to pass the For the People Act. Participants will receive intensive political organizing training, and they will have the opportunity to put their skills to practice, organizing their campuses and communities, and lobbying their legislators.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Attending regular weekly training sessions and team meetings

• Organizing campus and/or local community with skills gained through training

• Building a coalition of local allies in democracy work

• Meeting directly (or virtually) with members of Congress

• Hosting (virtual or socially distanced) action meetings

• Writing letters to the editor to be published in local media

• Planning and hosting events (virtual or socially distanced) in support of HR1

Requirements:

• Passion for democracy reform

• Access to computer, phone and internet (this is a remote internship position)

• Interest in learning more about organizing (no prior organizing experience is required)

• Ability to be both a strong team player and to be self driven in your work

• Ability to dedicate 12 hours per week to the internship

To apply: send a resume and cover letter to Ilana Beller (ibeller@citizen.org). Students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible (no later than Wednesday, February 24) to be competitive applicants. DFAD and Public Citizen value diversity. People of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community are encouraged to apply.