Starting in the 1980's and continuing into the 21st century, democracy grew across the globe at an unprecedented pace, bringing with it a surge of peace, security, and prosperity never seen before. But, the years since have seen a reversal -- a counter wave of violence, destruction and human tragedy that threatens to erase these gains.The world around us is unraveling, and the next President of the United States must face the truth that there is a direct correlation between democracy and respect for human rights abroad, and U.S. national security. He or she must renew our nation's commitment to push back in a coordinated, smart and determined way against the forces of darkness.For that reason, Prime's Gardner Peckham, along with 140 other concerned citizens signed the letter below to all presidential candidates.

Letter to Presidential Candidates- U.S. Must Put Democracy at the Center of its Foreign Policy

Gardner Peckham

Gardner manages the firms international practice. He has 30 years of experience in the design and implementation of federal policy on foreign relations, national security and international trade. Gardner co-leads our practice which services clients on issues related to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations.