Our Mission
We are here to end The Big Disconnect and return lawmaking power to the people—straight-up.
For too long, politics has been a rigged game. Candidates chase donor money. Parties demand loyalty. Voters are treated as spectators in a system designed to keep real decision-making behind closed doors.
We reject that. Democracy is not something handed down to us by politicians. It is our birthright. Our lives, our freedoms, our futures—we are the only ones with the authority to decide on them.
That’s what Democracy, Straight-Up! is about: making sure the people who live under the law are the ones who write it.
The Big Disconnect
We name the problem plainly: the people don’t feel like they are the authors of their own government—because they aren’t.
Voting every few years for a candidate who may or may not listen is not enough. Protests, petitions, or emails to your representative are not enough. These are distractions that keep us busy while power stays elsewhere.
We refuse to settle for a democracy that is democracy in name only.
Here’s how it works:
Voters join their district’s DcL.
Each Circle of voters chooses a delegate they trust.
When the DcL grows large enough, it sends one of its own to Congress.
That representative’s pledge is to vote with their district—faithfully reflecting the majority’s will on every issue, while keeping the flexibility needed for rare emergencies.
The Straight-Up Solution
It’s not complicated. It’s common sense.
Every congressional district creates a Directly-connected Legislature—DcL for short (pronounced “diesel” because it’s the engine of democracy!).
No campaigns.
No big money.
No “lesser of two evils.”
Just your vote, counted.
What We Stand For
Direct Legislation is a right, not a privilege.
Connected representation—representatives as employees of the people, not their masters.
A politics free of corruption, gerrymandering, and donor control.
Self-government that is real, not symbolic.
And just as important—what we don’t stand for:
We’re not here to tell you to “play nice” or “calm down.” We’re not here to preach civility or teach voters how to behave. We don’t need politicians to grant us permission. We don’t need anyone to certify our worthiness for democracy. We have everything we need and we are ready to do this now.
Who we are
The Democracy Straight-Up Project is led by Dahlia Hart, who spent decades developing the principles and structure of this system. Dahlia has carried this vision through years of research, writing, and organizing to make one thing clear: this is possible. We don’t need to amend the Constitution. We don’t need to wait for approval. We can build this system ourselves, right now. And there are enough of us—enough people with the time, energy, and will—to do it.
Dahlia’s work—and the work of everyone joining this project—is about nothing less than changing the human condition for generations to come.
Join the direct revolution
This is our mission: to dismantle The Big Disconnect and put the people back in charge of the laws that shape their lives and protect their liberty.
We’re not asking for your trust in politicians. We’re reminding you of your own power—to think, decide, and act for yourself.
Because democracy, straight-up, means one thing: your voice finally counts.
