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Gauchos for Election Reform

To strengthen U.S. democracy and address political dysfunction, fair, and non-partisan election reform is essential. GAFER works towards this goal by educating students, fostering dialogue on innovative reforms, and empowering them to take action through volunteer and internship opportunities with leading reform organizations

Challenges in the US state of democracy

  • Many Americans believe US Democracy is at a crossroads due to issues like polarization, eroding democratic norms, and election disinformation

  • Data on US institutions and citizen's changing viewpoints support this concern

  • In 1958, 73% of Americans trusted the Federal Government. Now the number is at 19% (Pew Research)

  • A 2024 Economist Intelligence Unit found that US institutions weakened from a "full democracy" in 2016 to a flawed democracy before the 2024 election. The result was the US fell to 28th in the World Democracy Index

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