The Reform Institute is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit educational organization working to strengthen the foundations of our democracy and build a resilient society. The Institute formulates and advocates valuable, solutions-based reform in vital areas of public policy.

The Reform Institute believes that surmounting the most intractable issues facing the nation will require fundamental reform that results in a government that inspires and instills public confidence through transparency and accountability, leadership that serves as a catalyst for innovation and collaboration, and policies that promote competition in elections and the markets.

The Reform Institute’s vision is to build a more resilient nation that is able to overcome the challenges we collectively face and emerge as a stronger country. A resilient nation requires: a fully transparent and accountable government, a citizenry that is actively engaged in the political process and has genuine access to the wealth of opportunities that the free market has to offer, and institutions and infrastructure capable of facilitating and taking full advantage of the ingenuity and determination of the American people by promoting private sector innovation.

The Reform Institute is a centrist think tank committed to achieving fundamental reform towards making America more resilient. The Institute provides objective research and analysis in critical areas of public policy, including homeland and national security, energy and environmental progress, economic opportunity and competitiveness, immigration policy, and governance and election reform.

A defining characteristic of the United States has been our resilience – the ability to prevail in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity and to emerge as a stronger nation. This was accomplished by tapping into the unrivaled resources of the nation, the American people being chief among these, and uniting the public in a common cause. Such resilience, though, cannot be taken for granted. It must be nurtured by strengthening the economy, infrastructure and democratic institutions of the U.S. and empowering her citizens in order to be prepared to confront the next challenge. Allowing every American to realize their full potential will make the U.S. the strong, resilient nation it must be to confront the challenges that lie ahead.

As an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)3 public policy organization, the Reform Institute is committed to advancing a policy agenda that engages Americans, especially centrists and independent-minded voters repelled by the partisan gridlock in Washington, in building a more resilient America. The most complex and persistent issues facing the U.S. include establishing a true focus to our homeland security policy that places a premium on enhancing our ability to rapidly respond to and recover from catastrophes such as terrorist attacks and natural disasters while fostering a quick return to a state of near normalcy; developing a comprehensive energy strategy that promotes energy resilience and long-term sustainability; strengthening our economy so that it can continue to be an engine for growth and opportunity in the face of a changing global economy, intensified foreign competition and the aging of the populace; fixing the dysfunctional immigration system through comprehensive immigration reform that balances improving security with acknowledging the importance of immigration to our economy and society; and instituting reforms to the political process that restore Americans’ confidence in their government and create an environment conducive to the bipartisan cooperation and leadership that the nation needs.

Political reform is essential to achieving national resilience. Since its founding in 2001, the Institute has been a leader in promoting governance and election reform, recognizing that resolving the most intractable problems confronting our society will require fundamental reform at the core of our democratic system. Such an agenda includes promoting open, fair and competitive elections; reducing the influence of special interests in our politics; advancing accountability and transparency in government; and encouraging a political discourse that rises above blatant partisanship at the federal, state and local levels. Such reforms will encourage more active political participation on the part of the citizenry and produce a more effective government capable of dealing with critical issues.

Governance reform must also encourage significant change in how the public sector interacts with other sectors of society. The challenges of the new century will require a government that is able to serve as a catalyst for focusing the spirit and industriousness of the American people towards overcoming crucial problems. This will require an efficient and responsible government that inspires the populace and supports rather than constrains innovation and enterprise. Effective leadership, combined with more openness with the public and increased collaboration with the private and non-profit sectors, will make America more resilient.

The Institute’s work is informed and advanced by a broad base of reformers from across the ideological spectrum, including business leaders, policy experts, and retired and current elected officials and, most importantly, average Americans who are tired of politics as usual. The Institute’s distinctive network is reflected in the members of our Advisory Committee – a bipartisan group of notable academics, experts, business leaders and public officials. The Advisory Committee is a “sounding board” for the Institute in its research and development of policy solutions. The committee does not have a governing role with the organization.

The Reform Institute’s Board of Directors is chaired by Paul Bateman (Klein & Saks Group) and includes Charles Kolb (Committee for Economic Development), Lawrence Hebert (Dominion Advisory Group), and Pam Pryor. In addition, Cecilia Martinez serves as Executive Director.

What began as a campaign finance reform organization has grown into a multi-issue think tank advocating for reform in the most critical issues facing the U.S.

The Reform Institute was founded in 2001 in direct response to the millions of Americans who, during the 2000 presidential campaign, expressed profound disillusionment with corrupt fundraising activities and the political “closed shop.” The initial bipartisan Honorary Co-Chairs of the Advisory Committee were Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and former Senator Bob Kerrey (D-NE). Senator McCain served in this voluntary position from 2001-2005.

The Institute began its work toward reform during the 2001-2002 Congressional debate on a historic effort to end the corrupting scourge of “soft money” – vast, unregulated contributions from corporations and labor unions. The Institute also sought to end soft money funding of sham “issue ads”— the thinly veiled, largely anonymous attack ads that plague the airwaves near election time. This epic legislative battle was the catalyst behind the creation of the 37-member coalition known as Americans for Reform, which worked to raise awareness about soft money and conducted a large-scale campaign to educate the public about problems in our system of campaign finance.

In recent years the Institute has also built a presence in the states, working to educate policy makers and opinion leaders about values-based policy reforms that strengthen the people’s confidence in government. This includes promoting open primaries, fair redistricting, public campaign funding, lowering barriers to voter registration, facilitating ballot access, and encouraging an independent judiciary.

Since Congress passed the initiatives in the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA), also known as McCain-Feingold, the Reform Institute has expanded our policy expertise into other critical areas affected by the decline of bipartisanship and corrosion in our democratic institutions. This includes providing bipartisan leadership towards a comprehensive and sustainable energy policy, innovative means of protecting the homeland, balanced solutions to the challenges faced by current immigration policies, and promoting opportunity and competitiveness in our economy.

Past leaders of the Institute’s board of directors include Herbert Allison (2001-2003), Richard Davis (2003-2005), former Congressman Amo Houghton (2005-2006), John Gardner (2006-2007), former Congressman Charles Bass (2007 to 2008), and Paul Bateman (2008-current).