There are reasons to worry about our democracy.  We’ve been hearing about fake news, foreign interference, dark ads on Facebook, and political parties breaking electoral law. In the run up to the general election, headlines have been flooded with tactical voting, youth disengagement and millions of people missing from the electoral register. People feel they have no influence over national decision-making. They don’t vote because they don’t believe it will change anything. More and more people say they are not interested in politics or government.

But democracy matters to everyone. Democracy enables people to have their voice heard. It should ensure that decision-making takes into account all evidence and perspectives. It should ensure that power in our society is distributed more fairly.

All social purpose organisations have a vested interest in protecting and promoting democracy. And there is plenty of great work being done across the sector—organisations like Involve, Electoral Reform Society, Voting Counts, Unlock Democracy, mySociety and Shout Out UK, to name just a few, are dedicated to democratic reform, improving education and awareness, increasing engagement, and strengthening accountability.

Read the full article about charity and democracy by Michelle Man at Think NPC.