Governor Huntsman talked about the Strengthening Democracy Commission in his State of the State Address:

“Closer to home, there is a deficit of another kind, and no less disturbing. Unfortunately, in Utah we are seeing a weakening in our own pillars of democracy. We’ve long been recognized as a community known for its patriotism and public spiritedness, yet as the nation has seen an upswing in voter turnout, we are seeing just the opposite.  This apathy is corrosive to a stable and functioning democracy. We must restore trust. We must restore confidence. We must reach out, particularly to our youth, to reinvigorate the democracy they will inherit.  This is the purpose of the newly-announced Commission on Strengthening Utah’s Democracy, because without public support and participation we have no democracy.  One of our most passionate and respected community leaders has taken our call to action.”