We are a diverse coalition of more than 80 respected established organizations committed to revitalizing democratic practice in America.
Since it’s often difficult for any one group to fully capture public attention or broadly popularize solutions, we are banding together to create great impact across three broad areas: civic engagement, governance and policymaking, and campaign and election processes.
July 13, 2018
This week, thanks to several restaurant incidents in which prominent Republicans were harassed or denied dinner, the notion of “civility” in public discourse has become a major topic in the national conversation. At American Public Square, civility is key to what we do—provide forums for fact-based, civil conversations between non-like-minded people—so of course our ears are ringing. Journalists, pundits, and citizens are asking questions: Are there situations where being civil isn’t the best course? Is it ok to be uncivil sometimes, for example, as a form of nonviolent protest?
Read MoreJuly 06, 2018
It’s been 242 years since the United States declared independence. Yet, we’re still a young nation. Surveying the state of American political culture, it’s not difficult to conclude that, as a country and a culture, we’re still in our adolescence. This week, we celebrated our Declaration of *Independence*. What word better defines an adolescent’s vocabulary than “independence”? What document expresses more beautifully and succinctly the twinned pulls of freedom and (hopefully) responsibility that adolescent experiences?
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June 30, 2018
Every year, ballots across the United States include questions on everything from whether to install a public swimming pool to whether citizens should pay for their plastic bags. But what happens if the ballot question is worded incorrectly? Or if the language translation is just a little bit off? Every year, in communities and districts across the country, voters are victims of ballot fails. Here are some of our favorites.
Read MoreJuly 13, 2018
This week, thanks to several restaurant incidents in which prominent Republicans were harassed or denied dinner, the notion of “civility” in public discourse has become a major topic in the national conversation. At American Public Square, civility is key to what we do—provide forums for fact-based, civil conversations between non-like-minded people—so of course our ears are ringing. Journalists, pundits, and citizens are asking questions: Are there situations where being civil isn’t the best course? Is it ok to be uncivil sometimes, for example, as a form of nonviolent protest?
Read MoreJuly 06, 2018
It’s been 242 years since the United States declared independence. Yet, we’re still a young nation. Surveying the state of American political culture, it’s not difficult to conclude that, as a country and a culture, we’re still in our adolescence. This week, we celebrated our Declaration of *Independence*. What word better defines an adolescent’s vocabulary than “independence”? What document expresses more beautifully and succinctly the twinned pulls of freedom and (hopefully) responsibility that adolescent experiences?
Read More
June 30, 2018
Every year, ballots across the United States include questions on everything from whether to install a public swimming pool to whether citizens should pay for their plastic bags. But what happens if the ballot question is worded incorrectly? Or if the language translation is just a little bit off? Every year, in communities and districts across the country, voters are victims of ballot fails. Here are some of our favorites.
Read More
