America is a nation founded upon the belief that the people should have a say in how they are governed. Our governance is to be decided by the people in our republic through their elected representatives.
Article II of the Constitution of the United States begins, “The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” Officials and employees of the federal executive branch, who take an oath to uphold the Constitution, are, therefore, subordinates of the President. In keeping with their obligations under the Constitution, these officials and employees are charged with implementing the agenda of the President and carrying out his lawful orders.
That is not, however, how our government always works. For a variety of reasons, including elected officials ceding authority, unelected bureaucrats have become an ever more powerful force, at times working in direct opposition to the elected representatives of the people in whom the Constitution grants power.
That’s where we come in.
Democracy Restored is a nonpartisan organization that exists to educate the public about how its government really works, and how it far too often doesn’t work. We work to expose the actions of people, including unelected bureaucrats in our government, that may be influencing policy against the wishes the American people have expressed through their elected representatives.
We are dedicated to protecting the principles of representative democracy by addressing these unelected bureaucrats’ influence in our government. We believe that, by promoting awareness, we can all work together to ensure that decision-making power returns to the American people — where it belongs.
Our mission is to bring transparency to those whose actions, unwittingly or not, may be undermining our democracy, often while proclaiming they are protecting it. We work hard to expose the drumbeat of elected officials’ responsibilities being handed off to people who do not answer to the American taxpayer. The reins of power belong in the hands of those elected by the people, not those whose work outside of the reach of their bosses – the American people.
We also recognize that the debate surrounding the power of these unelected bureaucrats is murky, to say the least. Political rhetoric makes its home within that murk, portraying a dichotomy between pure public interest and political motivations. We want to reframe this debate, so that Americans understand who is really making decisions in the federal government and why.
Democracy Restored exists to help return the power to the people as the federal government cedes its authority to unelected bureaucrats, some of whose only driving forces are their own special interests.
Our Mission
At Democracy Restored, we aim to bring transparency to those who actively undermine our democracy, often under the guise of protecting it. We strive to ensure that the power to make decisions impacting people’s lives lies in the hands of individuals elected by their constituents.
Moving Beyond Political Rhetoric
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The Path Forward
Moving beyond political rhetoric in our government sounds like an unattainable goal in today’s political environment, but it truly is not. On the contrary; America finds herself at a time where sunshine is flying through the windows of Washington. Transparency and openness have become the new guiding light in the nation’s capital, and it’s time that the public capitalizes on it.
To move beyond political rhetoric in our government requires a concerted effort on the civilian and official levels to ensure transparency rules the day, not special interests lurking in murky waters. It means that we can build on actions like Executive Order (EO) 13957, which reclassified certain positions to report directly to the President of the United States, and propose mechanisms to provide much-needed oversight to these individuals. It also requires a firmer hand to be used when government officials break ethics laws by engaging in political speech, as we have seen happen several times in the past few years.
Moreso, an undertaking like this needs organizations like Democracy Restored to launch probes of the government through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and other means. It needs journalists to cover what is found, and citizens who will respond to those discoveries to ensure our government works for the people, as our Founders intended, not unelected bureaucrats driven by special interests.
This fight is a hard, but necessary, one to ensure that our children’s children enjoy the same freedoms that we all do now.
Who We Are
Democracy Restored is led by Americans who want to see our government work for the people, not for an entrenched, unaccountable bureaucracy. We are led by an expert team that strives to bring transparency and sunlight to the government officials who seek to dodge them.
Houston Keene, Director
Houston Keene joins Democracy Restored after a career working in Congress and as a nationally syndicated journalist covering politics, including the executive branch and government ethics. Houston was born in Austin, Texas, and is a proud father, husband, and Baylor Bear.
What is Schedule F?
Schedule F is a provision in the Federal Government’s administrative framework, particularly as outlined in executive orders or administrative policies. This provision is associated with civil service employment and political appointees.