Reflecting on Dēmos: Restoring the Balance

The following is an excerpt from an essay by Stephen Heintz, RBF president and a cofounder and first president of Dēmos, originally published on the Dēmos website to mark the organization's 25th anniversary.

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Our society was built on the values of freedom, free enterprise, private property, and individual initiative balanced by civic responsibility, democratic participation, equal opportunity, checks and balances, and the rule of law. While it is true that how these principles were applied and to whom has been inequitable from the beginning, this blending of capitalism and democracy, as well as the attendant inequity, has served as a foundation for the norms and institutions that have shaped our society over time. But now the balance has been upended. And today’s mix of hyper-capitalism, concentrations of economic and technological power, and impaired and imperiled democracy is undermining the common good.  

As a result, millions of Americans remain mired in poverty. The middle class is struggling and shrinking. Powerful interests have outsized influence on our politics while individual citizens face steep barriers to civic participation. Norms have been upended—greed is good, and truth is a nuisance. Not surprisingly, faith in democracy is at an all-time low...

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