Analysis

One of the largest lessons learned from Americans Elect is that many serious Presidential candidates were unwilling to risk their reputation on an unproven platform. Although many people were fed up with the two major parties, it was difficult to turn this dissatisfaction into support for a new, untested third-party platform. The current two-party system is deeply entrenched and more preparation is needed to challenge it. Americans Elect launched too close to the 2012 election cycle to build real momentum. Instead of starting with the presidential election, the organization should have started with much smaller populations in order to test the strengths and weaknesses of the platform and allow voters to see it successfully get candidates elected. Also, the organization was evidently intended to serve as a platform for an independent third-party candidate such as Michael Bloomberg. However, candidates outside of the two major political parties often struggle to rally broad support because they typically lack a compelling, cross-cutting issue that resonates with voters from both major parties- particularly when politics is as partisan as it is in America today. One could also note that the public likely did not know who most of the candidates in the Americans Elect primaries were. Now more than ever, it is evident that a real presidential candidate needs to have a certain charisma and ability to connect broadly with the American public, but perhaps what is most important is name recognition. Whether this be achieved through their personality, history in politics, or prior fame, in an age dominated by social media and constant news cycles, voters often respond better to a name they are familiar with rather than a candidate's complex policies. 

Another key challenge Americans Elect faced was the issue of public trust in, and legitimacy of, the digital platform itself. Many Americans may be skeptical of an online voting process if they have concerns about data privacy and potential ballot manipulation. However, security measures for online voting have improved dramatically since 2012, and voting through a site such as Secure Internet Voting (SIV) now is a much safer alternative to in-person voting. SIV offers multi-party encryption to protect one's vote and even allows for voters to confirm their own vote is counted correctly through their voter verification number. Many states have already adopted online voting for citizens living abroad but are skeptical about implementing it on a large scale, even if the risks are highly mitigated. As Americans Elect didn't have much time to prove the platform, it failed to be widely accepted as a verifiable method for securing online votes. And while the organization promoted itself as nonpartisan and open to all, the leadership of Americans Elect had the final say in which candidates made it onto the ballot, which raised red flags. The organization also failed to fully disclose its funding. In 2011 the group switched to a 501(c)4 nonprofit which, unlike political organizations, don't have to publicly reveal their donors. One of the biggest Americans Elect donors was Peter Ackerman, the father of the COO, who gave $1.55 million. Not only was this a clear conflict of interest, but in 2012 the group changed its bylaws to say that their big early donors would get paid back if the group raised enough later on, which suggested that the group was focused on protecting big donors rather than truly serving the public. The lack of transparency jeopardized the organization’s chances of having any trust among the public, and therefore jeopardized the credibility of the platform itself. 

When looking at previous third-party candidates that have experienced a modicum of success, such as Ross Perot in 1992, they gained support because the candidate came first and the organization second. Americans Elect focused on getting on the ballot in all 50 states but they were unable to have a widely supported candidate that voters could look at as a serious contender to the two major parties. It is important to note the differences that there would be in the 2028 national election compared to the 2012 election. In the run-up to the 2012 election, Obama was an incumbent candidate who was well-liked by the American public, which didn’t leave much room for other candidates to emerge. The Republican party also had no clear consensus candidate for months as members clashed over the direction of the party. Even former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour described the primary as being “in disarray,” so many looked at Obama as the only option. However, in 2028 there will be no clear candidate for either party, and much of the American public may be looking for new options. 

Founding father James Wilson advocated for voting methods that better reflected the will of the people, preferring direct elections (in contrast to many of his elite-driven contemporaries). His innovation in voting laid the groundwork for what Wilson’s Fountain is developing today. Both Americans Elect and Wilson's Fountain’s platforms aim to modernize and broaden election participation through digital primaries, which reflects Wilson’s vision of a more inclusive and responsive democracy. By leveraging technology to lower barriers to participation and empower a broader electorate, Wilson’s Fountain revives James Wilson’s commitment to a system where the voice of every citizen carries weight in shaping leadership and public policy. Today, the influence of money in politics often limits access to power and gives disproportionate influence to wealthy donors, undermining the ideal of equal representation. Eight-in-ten US adults say the people who donate money to political campaigns have too much influence on the decisions of those elected officials, and 85% of Americans say that the cost of political campaigns makes it hard for good people to run for office. Wilson’s Fountain seeks to disrupt this imbalance by creating a more accessible and transparent process - one where candidates rise through merit and popular support rather than just financial backing - restoring James Wilson's belief that government should be shaped by the people, not by wealthy elites. Wilson’s Fountain is trying to do what Americans Elect couldn’t: get everyday people on board with a better way to vote at the Congressional level while prioritizing transparency and trust-building. Wilson’s Fountain is designed to overcome the challenges Americans Elect faced by not only offering an innovative online primary system but also by actively educating and engaging the public about why a better voting process is essential for democracy.