Each week, I dive deep into the pulse of our collective efforts within the Bridge Alliance, exploring the tapestry of initiatives and activities of the healthy democracy field. At times, our work is galvanized by pivotal events, both within the U.S. and globally, or inspired by cultural milestones, like Taylor Swift pushback or the Tracy Chapman/Luke Combs duet at the Grammy Awards. This week’s reflection transcends any specific political or cultural narratives. A different theme stood out: the intrinsic interdependence of our diverse fields of work.

Over the years, the areas of focus brought together by the Bridge Alliance have clarified into organizations dedicated to bridging divides and peacemaking, reform for elections and governance, civic education and engagement, and trustworthy information. Our founders and team continually worked to define how these areas of practice strengthen one another and actively sought to intertwine the domains and amplify their collective impact. This week’s activities highlighted how two of those domains, bridging divides and electoral and governance reform, really need each other.

This week, there are updates about the successes and challenges of ranked-choice voting in 2023, the challenge of A.I. regulation, testimony on social media policy reforms, state efforts to minimize voters, rock-bottom primary election turnout, campaign finance reform, the debate over immigration, and the challenge of former President Trump’s false allegations about U.S. elections. The breadth of these challenges is as daunting as it is invigorating, yet they are matched by the community’s efforts toward social cohesion and civic engagement.

One highlight was the National Civic League’s webinar with leaders of the Bridging Movement Alignment Council and the #DisagreeBetter Campaign. They offered tools for having conversations with those we disagree with on many of the issues addressed by organizations in my previous paragraph. Podcasts discuss how curiosity can bridge dangerous divides and give insights into retaining our humanity in these divided times. Additionally, upcoming events provide opportunities to join discussions with thought leaders like Katherine Gehl, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, and Dr. Jonathan Haidt, offering insights into reforming our electoral systems, safeguarding democracy, and the societal impacts of social media.

The journey towards bridging divides and fostering social cohesion is often viewed through a skeptical lens, perceived as overly idealistic or disconnected from the broader socio-political challenges. Yet, my personal evolution from a self-identified pessimist to an unwavering optimist underscores a fundamental truth: advocacy for change is rooted in the belief in its possibility. Acknowledging our challenges doesn't equate to succumbing to pessimism; rather, it propels us to forge expansive coalitions, uniting diverse voices to dismantle entrenched power structures that hinder our progress.

In the face of current uncertainties and discord, I draw my hope from the reality that within this reality lies an opportunity to galvanize broader engagement, drawing individuals out of complacency and into action. The Bridge Alliance and the broader healthy democracy ecosystem have been building capacity and laying foundational groundwork to welcome those individuals for years and stand ready to lead with solutions, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to democracy. 

As we move forward, I carry with me a profound sense of gratitude for this community, our collective endeavors, and the tools at our disposal to navigate these times. It's a reminder that our work is not only necessary but pivotal in shaping the future of our democracy. Let this realization fuel our efforts in the coming week and beyond.

Featured Content

ActiVote (Blog) February 1st: Biden’s Approval Edges Lower

American Promise (Newsletter) February 7th: Pennsylvania Introduces Resolution To Overhaul Campaign Finance Regulations 

American Values Coalition (Blog) February 7th: Taylor Swift and the New Conspiracism

Ballotpedia (App) February 6th: Sample Ballot Lookup Tool

Business for America (Article) February 2nd: PA Battleground Has Broader Insights for the U.S. Election

Divided We Fall (Debate) February 7th: Borderline Crisis: Republicans Debate Illegal Immigration

FairVote (Report) February 6th: Ranked choice voting in 2023: A year in review

Issue One (Press Release) February 6th: Former President Trump’s false allegations about U.S. elections “mirrors the playbook of our adversaries,” say NCEI Co-chairs

National Civic League, Listen First Project, Bridge USA, The Village Square, 92NY (Video) January 30th: Difficult Conversations for the Sake of Democracy: The Art of Disagreeing

Podcasts

Ballotpedia (On the Ballot) February 1st: A.I. regulation at the state level

Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) February 1st: How Curiosity Can Bridge Dangerous Divides: Monica Guzman

R Street Institute (Politics in Question) February 4th: Are Americans democracy hypocrites?

The Village Square (Village SquareCast) February 2nd: Being Human in Divided Times

USC Center for the Political Future (The Bully Pulpit) February 6th: Ranking Reforms "The Cure for the Ills of Democracy is More Democracy"

Citizen Connect Featured Events

A More Perfect Union (February 12th @ 11:00 a.m. CST) Book Talk: Tyranny of the Minority with Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt

The Village Square (February 13th @ 7:00 p.m. EST) The Fragmentation of Everything with Jonathan Haidt

Network for Responsible Public Policy (February 15th @ 7:30 p.m. EST) The Problem With Politics Isn’t What You Think It Is. And Neither Is the Solution

Fix Democracy First (February 21st @ 5:00 p.m. PST) Democracy Happy Hour

Braver Angels (February 24th @ 2:00 p.m. EST) Being Blue in a Red Environment

Featured Fulcrum Articles

F. Willis Johnson, February 5th: Black History Month: A shared American story

Kevin Frazier, February 2nd: Literacy, news form base of the hierarchy of democracy needs

David L. Nevins, February 1st: Could Taylor Swift be the biggest election influencer of them all?

Sara Jane Samuel, January 31st: Carrots and sticks: Reprioritize weapons budgeting

Reinhold Ernst, January 30th: Iowa and New Hampshire add to the case for electoral reform

Debilyn Molineaux, January 29th: Pedro Silva's American future

Members In The News

Ballotpedia (Zenger News) February 7th: Examining The Implications Of Bias In School Library Books

Civic Genius (WXXI News) January 24th: South African leaders on how America can move beyond toxic polarization

Issue One (NBC News) January 31st: No change, no accountability': Mother reacts to social media reform hearing

National Civic League (Yahoo News) January 31st: Mesa school board may ramp up public involvement

RepresentUs (Common Dreams) January 31st: Arizona GOP Bill Would Let Legislators Overrule Voters in Presidential Elections

Veterans for All Voters (The Catalyst) February 1st: How to fix U.S. elections