In the summer of 1787, fifty-five delegates gathered in
Philadelphia to discuss, debate, and ultimately draft the
remarkable document that has been the bedrock of American
liberty for more than two centuries. America’s Constitution
provides the basic, practical structure for the greatest
democracy the world has ever known. Yet in order to function as
the Founders truly intended, that spare but inspired framework
requires something more – a public atmosphere of candor that
promotes citizen awareness of and participation in the
democratic process, and validates the legitimacy of its
outcomes. Put another way, our political system depends for its
very life upon a free and frank exchange of ideas, conducted in
the open air and the brilliant light of day. In an era of
intense partisanship, information overload, and highly divisive
and complex issues, some have claimed that that ideal is beyond
our The Sunlight Foundation begs to differ. The mission of The
Sunlight Foundation is to use the transformative power of t