About
ActuallyGovern.com exists because we're tired of screaming into the void.
So we're starting a movement.
We're EJ and Eva Marie — two American citizens, born and raised in this country we love, currently living on the East Coast with our four-legged furry companions (who, for the record, have very strong opinions about the state of things).
We built Actually Govern after reaching a point where the careers we'd spent decades building were no longer part of our story. When the ability to contribute the way you always have changes, it doesn't just change your daily life — it changes how you see yourself. We went from being actively engaged, working Americans to watching from the sidelines while the country we love got harder and harder to recognize.
We could have stayed on those sidelines. A lot of people would understand. But that's not us.
Actually Govern is how we got back in the fight. Not with protest signs or political campaigns — with independent civic journalism that cuts through the partisan noise and a pledge that asks Americans to think for themselves. We're pouring our own resources into this — the hosting, the tools, the time. This isn't a side project. This is us rebuilding our lives by doing something that matters.
Like you, we've watched. We've worried. We've wondered how we got here and where we're headed. And like you, we've felt that ache of wanting to do something — anything — to help.
This is our something.
Why the Eagle Looks So Annoyed
Our logo is a bald eagle that looks like it just sat through a congressional hearing. Below it, two words in Latin: Fac Opus Tuum — "Do Your Job."
That's it. That's the whole ask.
We didn't design it to be clever. We designed it because we are entirely, completely, bone-deep fed up with a government that has stopped working for the people it's supposed to serve. The eagle — America's symbol — shouldn't look this frustrated. But here we are.
Fac Opus Tuum isn't a partisan demand. It's not left or right. It's the bare minimum expectation every citizen should have of every elected official: do the job you were hired to do.
What We're Building
Actually Govern is three things working together:
The Pledge
Drop the Party is a public commitment to vote for people over parties — to think independently, verify before you share, and hold every elected official accountable regardless of the letter next to their name. More Americans identify as independent than as Democrat or Republican. The 45% is not silent anymore.
Drop the Party →The Briefing
Independent analysis of how our government actually works — and how it was designed to work. No party lines. No talking points. Just the facts your civics class skipped and cable news won't touch. Because an informed citizenry is the only thing that has ever made democracy work.
Read The Briefing →The Mission
We're currently self-funded — pouring our own time and resources into building this. If we eventually open an apparel store, a portion of proceeds will go to nonprofit organizations defending civil liberties and holding government accountable, like the ACLU Foundation and ProPublica. The goal has always been bigger than a website. We're building the mechanism to fund real change.
Our Mission →Who We Are
Eva Marie Cole
Co-Founder — Operations, Design, Development & Content
Eva Marie handles business operations, web development, product design, branding, and content — including the words you're reading right now. She built this website from the ground up, runs the day-to-day everything, and contributes to The Briefing.
Edward "EJ" Gall
Co-Founder — Content, Strategy & The Briefing
EJ is the co-founder, marketing strategist, and the co-voice of The Briefing. He develops educational content, shapes the brand strategy, and is the marketing mover and shaker working hard to propel this movement forward.
Together, we're each other's gut-check — constantly bouncing ideas back and forth to make sure everything stays on brand, on mission, and on point. We're building this from scratch — not with venture capital or a marketing team, but with stubbornness, outrage, and a refusal to accept that our best days of contributing are behind us.
Why "Actually Govern"?
Because that's all we're asking.
We're not demanding miracles. We're not asking for perfection. We're just asking our elected officials to actually govern — to do their jobs, follow the Constitution, and remember who they work for.
The bar is on the ground. We're just asking them to step over it.
Drop the Party →