Firm Founder Lauded by Huffington Post for Bipartisan Approach
"Inspired by Collaborative Political Leaders"
The Huffington Post
October 1, 2012—In a Huffington Post article announcing the opening of the "Making Democracy Work" exhibit at The George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management, author Mark Kennedy, director of the graduate school, praised Manatt founder Charles T. Manatt for his impactful political leadership that helped spread democracy around the world.
Kennedy writes that there are few who understand the profound and long-lasting impact that resulted from the cooperation of Democratic National Committee Chairman Charles Manatt and Republican National Committee Chairman Frank Fahrenkopf, who both served during the Reagan administration. Both Manatt and Fahrenkopf were dedicated to laying the foundation for transition from authoritarian governments, which controlled much of the world in 1983. It was joint-party action that helped set up President Reagan's efforts to boldly contest the communist challenge to democracy.
Reagan's plan to meet this challenge sprang from a major study titled "Project Democracy," which had been conducted by the American Political Foundation, founded in 1979 by Manatt and RNC Chairman Bill Brock. In addition, Manatt and Fahrenkopf were among the founders of the National Endowment for Democracy, and Manatt served as Founding Chairman of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs.
Kennedy notes that these efforts resulted in the spread of democracy around the world. "The new freedoms many enjoy today resulted from the democracy promotion efforts spawned by Reagan, Rep. Dante Fascell, Manatt, Fahrenkopf, and others. We owe them a great debt. Their success contributed to the fall of communism without a shot being fired," wrote Kennedy.
The "Making Democracy Work" exhibit is dedicated to the careers and collaboration of Manatt and Fahrenkopf. The exhibit features photos and personal memorabilia of both men and examines how two political competitors found common ground in building the international democracy movement.
Read the article here.