Democracy loves diversity, and debate, and so does Democracy Wire.

We want this blog to be a source for news, information and lively discussion about the challenges facing American democracy and what all of us can do to strengthen it.

So we want, we need, to hear from you. We welcome guest posts on the power of money in politics, defending and strengthening voting rights, protecting the free flow of information, and strengthening and enforcing high ethical standards for candidates and public officials. You need not agree with Common Cause on the issues (though we’d certainly be delighted if you do) because we’re convinced that in the long run respectful dialogue and a willingness to examine competing ideas makes democracy stronger.

A few guidelines:

• Brevity is a virtue. We don’t have a word limit but we reserve the right to edit your post to help you make your points succinctly and clearly. In our experience, posts of less than 500 words are the most read. If we change your post, other than to correct spelling, grammar and/or punctuation, we won’t publish it without your permission.
• Stick to the issues. Democracy Wire is not for electioneering; if your post is designed to promote a candidate, or tear one down, we’ll say thanks, but no thanks.
• Keep it clean. We want a lively AND respectful dialog. That means no name calling or personal attacks.
• Remember, this is Democracy Wire. You’ve probably got interesting ideas about child-rearing, nuclear physics, classical music, and a thousand other things. There are other places on the internet to share them. Our blog is about democracy.
• We’re big on transparency, so we generally will decline posts from authors who are unwilling to have their names published. We’ll consider exceptions to that rule for bloggers who make a compelling case on the need to preserve their privacy.
• You’re invited, but not required, to send us an email pitching your idea for a post before you invest the time and effort needed to write it. We’ll let you know if we think it will fit on Democracy Wire. Contact Dale Eisman, senior writer/editor, at deisman@commoncause.org. Once your post is done, you can send it as an attachment to Dale at the same address. Be sure to include contact information, including a phone number.

We hope to hear from you soon.