The Network

There are capable Americans all over the country who could serve in elected office. Most will never seriously consider it.

The Average American Network exists to change that.

The goal is to build a nationwide network that identifies ordinary Americans with the character, experience and ability to serve—and creates a realistic path for them to run for office.

Not only for local office. The long-term vision includes state legislatures, governors' offices, the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and even the presidency.

The Problem

Being qualified to represent the American people and being equipped to run for office are two very different things.

Running requires money, name recognition, fundraising, campaign infrastructure, political connections and an understanding of a system most Americans have never had a reason to learn.

For someone with a career, mortgage, children and responsibilities, those barriers can make running for office feel nearly impossible.

So people who might make excellent public servants never become candidates.

The problem isn't that capable Americans don't exist. It's that we don't have a good way to get them from where they are now to the ballot.

Something Has Changed

For most of modern political history, reaching a large audience required access to political parties, major donors, newspapers, television networks or expensive advertising.

Today, we have something previous generations didn't: social media.

An ordinary American can now speak directly to thousands—or potentially millions—of people.

The Average American wants to use that ability for something bigger than political commentary or campaign advertising.

We can use it to find candidates in the first place.

Find. Interview. Question. Vet.

Imagine someone in your community who you believe would make an exceptional public servant.

Maybe it's a teacher. An engineer. A nurse. A farmer. A small-business owner. A veteran. A parent. A community leader.

You nominate them.

The Average American talks to them.

Then America does.

Potential candidates participate in long-form interviews and public conversations about what they believe, what they know, what they don't know, how they approach difficult problems and why they might be willing to serve.

Those conversations are shared through social media.

People ask questions. Challenge answers. Debate policy. Research claims. Raise concerns. Hear opposing viewpoints.

Instead of meeting a candidate for the first time through a campaign advertisement, Americans could get to know potential candidates before they ever appear on a ballot.

From Ordinary American to Candidate

Imagine an engineer in Virginia, a teacher in Ohio, a farmer in Iowa or a small-business owner in Arizona who has never seriously considered running for Congress.

Someone nominates them.

We interview them.

People watch.

Clips spread. Questions come in. More conversations follow. People begin to know who this person is, what they believe and how they think.

And eventually that person starts thinking:

Maybe I could actually do this.

If they decide to run, they aren't necessarily starting from zero.

They may already have an audience, supporters, volunteers and people willing to donate, share their message or simply pay attention.

Social media has already changed who can build an audience.

The Average American wants to use that change to expand who can realistically become a candidate.

Not Another Political Party

The Average American isn't intended to become another political party or ideological gatekeeper.

The people within this network will disagree. They should.

The goal isn't to decide what candidates must believe. It's to create the infrastructure for capable Americans to enter the conversation, be questioned openly and give the public the opportunity to decide what they think.

Americans don't need another organization telling them who to vote for. They need more opportunities to know the people asking for their vote.

Where This Starts

It starts here.

With research. Essays. Conversations. A community of Americans interested not only in talking about government, but participating in it.

Then we build the network.

Then we start finding people.

Then we start having conversations.

And someday, someone who never imagined running for office may decide to put their name on a ballot.

Maybe eventually, someone sitting in the United States Senate, the House of Representatives, a governor's office or even the White House will be there because ordinary Americans once said:

We think you should run.

The people capable of serving this country are already here.

We just need a better way to find them, hear them and give them a path to serve.