What the U.S. can learn from other countries
The United States blazed the trail for modern democracies, though it’s no secret that our system isn’t quite at its best. According to a 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center, “fewer than two-in-ten Americans say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right.”
Partisan gridlock is holding up vital policies around foreign aid and border security. Then there’s the fact that a major presidential candidate—you can guess who if you’ve turned on your TV anytime in the past several years—is at the center of a criminal investigation.
But the team at Clause Out doesn’t believe that the future of American government is as bleak as it may seem.
“Fewer than two-in-ten Americans say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right.”
What if we took a bit of inspiration from other democracies around the world, particularly one that excels at putting everyday people in the driver’s seat? We’re talking about Denmark. It’s the adopted home of our Co-Founder and CEO Benjamin Schenkel, and when he learned about an initiative called borgerforslag, he saw it as a political game-changer.
Borgerforslag (Citizen Proposal)
Borgerforslag is a bit of a mouthful for English speakers. It sounds like it could be the name of a Scandinavian fast-food chain. But in practice, borgerforslag is easy enough to understand.
It’s an online system that allows citizens to make proposals, and once 50,000 eligible voters support it, the suggestion makes its way straight to the Danish Parliament. And most of those popular ideas end up becoming actual laws.
Could you imagine if Americans had such direct access to Washington?
Although we can’t make that dream a reality, we can offer the next best thing. Clause Out provides a space for users to tap into their civic identities, whether they’re reading up on the hottest new bill in Congress or participating in a fact-forward debate.
Clause Out is about creating a productive dialogue—this ain’t one of your aunt’s crazy Facebook rants.
You will have the chance to explore all kinds of policies, and after you make your voice heard, we’ll pass your opinions directly on to policymakers and special interest groups.
And if we all make enough noise, they’ll have to listen to us sooner or later.
