Center for Democracy

The Center for Democracy was a U.S. organization that existed 1984-2003. It described itself as a democracy promoting organization. Its members included corporate leaders, politicians, and lobbyists. Its website said it was a "nonpartisan, privately-funded, program-creating organization, incorporated in December 1984. For the past seventeen years, the Center has fostered initiatives at critical moments in democratic transitions abroad, while serving as a bridge in issue dialogues between the two major political parties in the United States. Members of Congress, distinguished public figures, and representatives of American corporations serve on its Board of Directors. Major program areas focusing on newly-democratizing nations and re-emerging democracies worldwide include legislative institution-building and judicial reform and other rule-of-law issues."

In 1984 the US government also formed the better known "democracy promoting" organization, the National Endowment for Democracy.

For more critical info see http://www.rightweb.irc-online.org/articles/display/Center_for_Democracy

Monitoring elections in the U.S. and elsewhere

In November 2002, the Center for Democracy monitored the general election in Miami-Dade County, Florida. This was in reaction to election problems in parts of Florida in 2000 and in the 2002 primary. The Center was asked by the County Commissioners to monitor the election and to prepare written reports afterwards.

Overseas

• El Salvador (1985, 1991)
• Honduras (1989)
• The Philippines (1985-86)
• Costa Rica (1990)
• The Bahamas (1987)
• Poland (1990)
• Panama (1988-89)
• Guatemala (1990-91)
• Nicaragua (1989-90, 1996)
• Russia (1993, 2000)

The Center says that usually the invitation to monitor comes from both the party in power and the opposition parties.

Board of Directors

• Barbara B. Kennelly, Co-Chair; President, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
• Allen Weinstein, Co-Chair
• Robert L. Livingston, President and CEO; President, The Livingston Group

• Deborah Ashford, Partner, Hogan & Hartson, Washington, D.C.
• Roy Blunt, Majority Whip, U.S. House of Representatives
• James P. Cleaver, Chief Executive Officer, Van der Moolen Specialists, New York, New York
• Robert B. Fagenson, Vice Chairman, Van der Moolen Specialists, New York, New York
• Bart S. Fisher, Bryan Cave LLP, Washington, DC
• Leon S. Fuerth, Washington, D.C.
• Frederick P. Furth, Senior Partner, The Furth Firm, San Francisco, California
• Francine E. Goldstein, Westport, Connecticut
• Colm Hendrick, President, IMPAC, Punta Gorda, Florida
• Kay Bailey Hutchison, Vice-Chairman, Republican Conference, U.S. Senate
• James B. Irwin, Chairman, IMPAC, Punta Gorda, Florida
• Henry Kissinger, Chairman, Kissinger Associates, Inc., New York, New York
• Kathleen M. Linehan, Vice President, Philip Morris Companies, Washington, D.C.
• Richard G. Lugar, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate
• James P. Moran, Appropriations Committee, U.S. House of Representatives
• Thomas R. Pickering, Senior Vice President, International Relations, The Boeing Company, Arlington, Virginia
• Edward G. Rendell, Governor, State of Pennsylvania
• Charles S. Robb, McLean, Virginia
• Howard J. Rubenstein, President, Rubenstein Associates, Inc., New York, New York
• Guy L. Smith, Executive Vice President, Diageo, Inc., Stamford, Connecticut
• Sandra G. Wagenfeld, Westport, Connecticut
• Dennis E. Wheeler, Chairman, President & CEO, Coeur, The Precious Metals Co., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Other people

"Principals: Members of the board of directors in 1989 were: Peter G. Kelly, chairman, principal in Updike, Kelly & Spellacy and Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly; Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. , vice chair, partner in Hogan & Hartson; Allen Weinstein, president; James F. Keenan, chair, development committee, chairman of the board of Pace Industries; Susan Davis, co-chair development committee, president of The Susan Davis Companies; Lee Atwater, chairman of the Republican National Committee; Raymond C. Avansino, Jr., partner in Avansino, Melarkey & Knobel; William E. Brock III, president of The Brock Group; Ronald H. Brown, chairman of the Democratic National Committee; Bruce Douglas; president of The Douglas Company; Christopher J. Dodd, U.S. Senate; Dante B. Fascell, U.S. House of Representatives; Harvey C. Fruehauf, Jr., president of HCF Enterprises; Frederick P. Furth, senior partner in Furth, Fahmer, Bluemle & Mason; Glen R. Greenberg, president of Turbine Controls, Inc. ; Robert Trent Jones, Jr., president of Robert Trent Jones II Company; Elliott F. Kulick; Robert J. Lagomarsino, U.S. House of Representatives; Richard G. Lugar; U.S. Senate; Jane H. Macon, partner in Fulbright & Jaworski; Paul J. Manafort, Jr., principal in Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly; Charles T. Manatt, partner in Manatt, Phelps, Rothenberg & Evans; Charles S. Robb, U.S. Senate; Edward J. Rollins, cochairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee; William D. Rollnick, president of Genstar Rental Electronics; John Ryan, president of Ryan, Elliott & Company; [[Allan Schaefer, president of Allan Schaefer Enterprises; [[John R. Silber, president of Boston University; Guy L. Smith IV, vice president corporate affairs, Philip Morris Companies, Inc. ; Rodolfo Strauss, president of Strauss Plastic; Dennis E. Wheeler, president of Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation; Pete Wilson, Governor of California; Anthony Harrington, counsel to the board, partner in Hogan & Hartson; David Norcross, co-counsel to the board, partner in Myers, Matteo, Rabil, Norcross & Landgraf. (1)

"Former board members include: Marshall Coyne, proprietor of The Madison Hotels; Anthony Cutaia, president of The Butler Realty Group; John F. Kerry, U.S. Senate; F. Clifton White, director of the John H. Ashbrook Center; A. Robert Abboud, A. Robert Abboud & Company; Frank Drozak (deceased), president of the Seafarers International Union; William S. Edgerly, chairman of the board of the State Street Bank and Trust Company; Thomas M. Gaubert, chairman of the board of The Independent American Group; James F. Keenan, chief executive officer Pace Industries & Petro General; Eva Roman, chair of the board of CCI, Inc. ; Thomas F. Stroock, president of Alpha Exploration, Inc. ; and [[Richard S. Williamson, partner in Mayer, Brown & Platt. (2,3)

"Senior staff at the Center in 1989 included: Program Directors Mary R. Donaldson, Caleb C. McCarry, and Paul Nathanson; Controller Avis Worrell; and Assistant to the President Pamela R. Reeves. (4)" (From RightWeb)

Website

http://www.centerfordemocracy.org

Resources and articles

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