Louis Clark -Truth-Telling in the Trump Era: Harnessing the Power of Whistleblowing to Help Preserve Democracy

As trust in government and the effectiveness of our democratic system erodes daily, we need a new model of participatory accountability, of an open civic space that drives meaningful governance. To this end, the Government Accountability Project seeks to promote a cultural shift where truth-tellers—whistleblowers who harness the power of information to raise the alarm about gross violations of public trust—are valued as essential to a healthy democracy; where honesty, institutional and individual integrity, and a sense of duty to hold accountable those who engage in serious wrongdoing are restored as fundamental norms and expectations of both workers and leaders; and where whistleblowers are defined not as “snitches” and “tattletales” or viewed as “disloyal,” but are instead considered heroes, patriots, watchdogs, and role models because they chose to speak up rather than stay silent in the face of abuses of power that betray the public trust.