Celebrating International Day of Democracy and Promoting Government Transparency
Since 2007, the United Nations has officially recognized September 15 as International Day of Democracy to emphasize the importance of providing citizens with the power to express themselves and to participate in the political process. Secretary of State John Kerry released a statement, recognizing the day:
- "Democratic societies are strong societies, because people are free to speak out against injustices and to discuss, debate, and work together to drive positive change – even with those who hold opposing views. In a democracy, we are free to choose our leaders, hold government institutions accountable, and work with those institutions to build a more stable and prosperous future for all members of our society."
This year, the day's focus was on educating young people about democracy and encouraging more political participation among youth. In a statement, the UN explained the reason for this focus. "Study after study shows declining faith among young people in politics as we know it, with decreasing levels of participation in elections, political parties and traditional social organizations across the world. This applies to both established and emerging democracies."
Despite its concerns with youth participation, however, the UN stressed the important role that social media has played in mobilizing youth, and encouraged the use of the hashtag #DemocracyDay on Twitter.
September 15 is also the beginning of Global Legislative Openness Week (GLOW), which is spearheaded by the Legislative Openness Working Group of the Open Government Partnership. Throughout the "week" (which lasts for 10 days), governments across the globe will be encouraged to follow open government practices. GLOW is part of a larger opengovernment movement that seeks to increase government transparency. According to the GLOW official website, the week "is a celebration of open, participatory legislative processes around the world as well as an opportunity for diverse stakeholders to collaborate with one another and make progress toward adopting and implementing open-government commitments." GLOW is being promoted on Twitter via the hashtag #OpenParl2014.
There are currently 64 countries that are members of Open Government Partnership, including the United States, Canada, Great Britain, South Africa, and Brazil. According to OGP, countries such as Australia and France are in the process of developing an "Action Plan" to creating a more open government. (Learn more).
Weigh in on bills related to the International Day of Democracy and government transparency:
- SRes 540: International Democracy Day Resolution –Bipartisan– A resolution recognizing September 15, 2014, as the International Day of Democracy, affirming the role of civil society as a cornerstone of democracy, and encouraging all governments to stand with civil society in the face of mounting restrictions on civil society organizations. According to the bill text, "an analysis of 84 independent studies shows that democracy has a favorable impact on the formation of human capital, the rate of inflation, the level of economic freedom, and the stability of political institutions…democracy promotes tolerance and respect by recognizing the human dignity of all people and is necessary to the full realization of the values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
- HR 4245: Transparency in Government Act – To amend the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to improve access to information in the legislative and executive branches of the Government. According to the bill sponsor, "The Transparency in Government Act utilizes 21st century technology to expand access to information, strengthen oversight of federal spending, increase disclosures from both lawmakers and lobbyists and improve judicial transparency. The TGA will bring unprecedented accountability to the federal government and empower everyday citizens to be the government’s best watchdog."
- HRes 110: Congressional Research Service Electronic Accessibility Resolution –Bipartisan– Directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to provide members of the public with Internet access to certain Congressional Research Service publications. "Folks back home should have access to the same information as members of Congress," said bill co-sponsor. "After all, they’re the ones paying for it. It’s a shame that most Americans don’t know what they’re missing, because members of Congress rely heavily on this respected, rigorous, nonpartisan research."
- HR 1831: Read the Bills Act – To preserve the constitutional authority of Congress and ensure accountability and transparency in legislation. Requires that a bill's text must be electronically accessible to the general public at least seven days before leaders can vote on it. "It is our duty to be transparent to the constituents we serve. This legislation will increase transparency and ensure that Congress doesn’t pass legislation to find out what is in it," according the bill's sponsor. "Every law affects how the American people live and it is a dereliction of the Oath of Office to pass laws without knowing what they are."
- HR 760: Readable Legislation Act –Bipartisan– According to a press release by bill co-sponsor, Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (DNH), the bill "would make it easier for Members of Congress and the public to read and understand federal legislation. The Act would require bills that change existing law to reprint the affected section of the previous legislation to provide context and reduce ambiguity." Shea-Porter added, "Improving transparency and increasing accountability in Washington is a commonsense goal that’s good for our democracy."
