Bridge Alliance Weekly Update

A Leadership Transition at the Bridge Alliance

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 21:50:45 GMT

Looking Ahead Together

Dear Bridge Alliance Community,

I'm writing to let you know that in September, Kristina Becvar will be stepping down as Executive Director of the Bridge Alliance.

Kristina first came to the Bridge Alliance in 2022 and has served as Executive Director since September of 2023. During her tenure, her leadership has been instrumental in expanding our impact and helping us scale the vital work we do.

As co-publisher of The Fulcrum, Kristina played a central role in our dramatic growth. This spring, we reached a major milestone: over 950,000 combined views across our site and platforms like MSN, SmartNews, Newsbreak, and Apple News. Many of our articles are now picked up by local newspapers nationwide, further broadening our reach. More than ever, we are fulfilling our mission to be a powerful daily news publication where insiders and outsiders to politics can meet, talk, and act to repair our democracy—and make it live and work in our everyday lives.

Beyond publishing, Kristina has worked closely with a wide range of Bridge Alliance members, partners, and allies. She has cultivated relationships across our diverse community, helping organizations tell their stories more effectively, strengthen their data practices and strategy, and connect their work to the larger healthy democracy ecosystem. Her commitment to amplifying voices across ideological, generational, and geographic divides has helped the Bridge Alliance deepen its role as a connector in the field.

Earlier this year, the Bridge Alliance issued a letter to our members and broader community, expressing deep concern about the escalating threats to democracy in the United States. We committed to evolving our mission in response to this urgent challenge.

Kristina led a four-month process of deep collaboration and dialogue with a diverse group of practitioners across the ideological spectrum. These conversations surfaced candid insights into the successes and shortcomings of the democracy movement and identified key areas where our collective efforts must grow stronger. The process culminated in a comprehensive survey of respected field leaders, capturing their perspectives on the path forward .

This work could not have happened without Kristina’s leadership. Her efforts are now helping shape the strategic direction of the Bridge Alliance for 2026 and beyond. We are pleased to share that Kristina will remain engaged with the organization as a Fellow in the new Bridge Alliance Strategic Fellows Collective (described below).

I’d be remiss if I didn’t add a personal note about the relationship Kristina and I have built over the past few years. Effective management isn’t just about strategy decks and spreadsheets. It’s a profoundly human endeavor, shaped by trust, empathy, and shared purpose. The bond Kristina and I developed was grounded in deep listening, honest collaboration, and mutual respect. That personal connection has been an important force behind our success. Kristina brought not only professional excellence, but also emotional intelligence and integrity to every conversation, every challenge, and every breakthrough. I am deeply grateful for her partnership, and I will carry the lessons of our work together into the next chapter of the Bridge Alliance.

LOOKING AHEAD: THE FUTURE OF THE BRIDGE ALLIANCE

We will continue to champion signature initiatives like The Fulcrum and the Engaged Athlete Fellowship , and we remain committed to partnering with other impactful projects like the Healthy Democracy Project with the National Civic League, News Ambassadors, the Election Overtime Project with Election Reformers Network, and more.

Building on insights from our “Path Forward” white paper, the Bridge Alliance is launching a bold new initiative:

Bridge Alliance Strategic Fellows Collective—a coordinated effort to harness sector expertise in service of strengthening democracy.

In this time of democratic flux, siloed efforts are no longer sufficient. The Strategic Fellows Collective reimagines leadership within the Bridge Alliance. Scheduled to launch in January 2026, this agile, sector-based model replaces traditional top-down governance with distributed expertise, collaborative strategy, and public-facing storytelling.

We envision a cohort of seasoned civic leaders, each stewarding a vital pillar of the democratic ecosystem—from electoral reform and civic engagement to pluralism, media integrity, and the arts. Fellows will serve as strategic advisors, conveners, connectors, and catalysts—coordinating sector intelligence, amplifying field insights, and shaping the narrative of democratic renewal.

Through monthly convenings, shared tools, and integration with The Fulcrum’s powerful storytelling platform, the Collective will ensure movement-wide coordination grounded in lived expertise and responsive to emerging challenges. Fellows will publish field scans, liaise with funders and coalitions, and elevate sector voices to the national stage.

This is more than a governance model—it’s a leadership ecosystem that reflects the complexity of our civic landscape, distributes power and responsibility, and builds resilience through collaboration.

Together, the Bridge Alliance Strategic Fellows Collective will forge a new path for the Bridge Alliance and for democracy—rooted in trust, expertise, and shared purpose.

As we finalize the details, we will be reaching out to many of you to co-create this transformative program.

Despite our many accomplishments over nearly a decade, the Bridge Alliance will not rest on its laurels—especially at a time when our nation urgently needs citizen engagement and empowerment. We must redouble our efforts to welcome and support organizations in a co-created movement for a thriving, just, and healthy democratic republic.

As Chairman of the Board, I am committed to seeing this vision through. I will be providing substantial funding to ensure that the Bridge Alliance has the resources and talent needed to serve as a hub for the healthy self-governance movement.

Your input is invaluable. We welcome your advice and counsel. While this letter aims to clearly communicate our vision, we recognize that clarity is not guaranteed by intention alone. For us to succeed, and to scale the plan outlined above, it is essential that BAEF communicates and engages effectively with all stakeholders, grantees, donors, and members of the broader community.

By doing so, we aim to strengthen our role as the connective tissue between local, regional, and national efforts to renew our republic.

Warm regards,

David L. Nevins

Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board

Bridge Alliance Education Fund

The Path Forward Report

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 21:38:44 GMT

Imagining The Path Forward for The Healthy Democracy Ecosystem

In the last decade, the ecosystem working toward a healthy democracy has grown from dozens to thousands of organizations tackling everything from electoral reform to civic education, bridge-building to institutional repair. This represents an extraordinary surge of civic energy.

But growth and impact aren't the same thing. After Donald Trump's return to the presidency, those of us in this space faced an uncomfortable question: If we've built such a robust movement, why does American democracy still feel so fragile?

That question prompted the Bridge Alliance Education Fund to examine our collective efforts through interviews, surveys, and field assessments. Our new report, " The Path Forward for the Healthy Democracy Ecosystem ,” offers both honest critique and actionable direction for democracy work in the Trump era.

An Ecosystem Rich in Energy, Poor in Connection

The research reveals a movement caught between promise and performance. Yes, we've built impressive networks spanning electoral reform , funding, civic engagement and education , bridging , dialogue facilitation , and institutional reform. BIPOC-led organizations, youth initiatives, and faith-based groups play increasingly prominent roles. Innovations like ranked choice voting and citizens' assemblies have expanded democracy's imagination.

But we've also created what one survey respondent called a field "rich in intention, poor in impact." Too many efforts remain isolated pilot projects rather than scaled solutions. Organizations often agree on shared threats while lacking consensus on shared values, goals, or even language. Most critically, there's a persistent disconnect between elite strategy and grassroots reality—reform proposals designed in national think-tanks that fail to resonate in communities that feel democracy has already failed them.

Many groups building civic trust or facilitating dialogue frame their work as youth development or community healing, not democracy work. These vital efforts often get excluded from national strategy tables or funding pipelines.

The result is fragmentation precisely when coordination matters most.

Beyond Defensive Postures

Perhaps our most important finding is how practitioners are rethinking their work. While defending institutions remains crucial, purely defensive strategies aren't inspiring or sustainable. Worse, they often alienate communities that haven't felt well-served by those institutions.

"We're not just in a fight over process anymore," one respondent told us. "We're in a cultural and moral struggle over the meaning of democracy itself."

This shift is driving the field toward deeper questions: What does democracy mean to Americans across ideological lines? How do we foster discussion and bridge divides in an information ecosystem so fragmented that different groups seem to operate from entirely different facts? How do we rebuild trust and belonging in communities where civic institutions feel distant or hostile?

The answer requires recognizing that structural fixes and cultural repair must work together, but neither is currently meeting Americans where they're seeking answers.

A Path Forward Rooted in Connection

Based on practitioner input, we identified a framework for four mutually reinforcing capacities that our ecosystem needs to build.

Narrative Capacity: From Policy to Shared Story. Democracy work must move beyond policy language toward narratives that speak to lived experiences and cultural values. Americans need to see themselves inside the democracy story, not just as its beneficiaries. This also means tying our proposed solutions to people’s personal and community needs. For example, how does what we’re talking about address the cost of living? Community health and safety?
Relational Capacity: Belonging as Civic Infrastructure. Democracy thrives where people feel they belong, are heard, and can shape outcomes. This means investing in trust-building, creating accessible civic onramps, and local leadership training. This also means recognizing that work is being done in countless communities under different names than we may use in the democracy space, and we need to build connections to and support for them where they are already succeeding.
Courage Capacity: Principled Action Across Difference. The field must model democratic values internally, making room for dissent, supporting moral courage across ideologies, and maintaining curiosity about different perspectives rather than dismissing them. Too often, leaders hesitate to speak plainly about disinformation, extremism, or authoritarian drift. If we want Americans to have curious conversations about the state of our democracy, we need to be able to have the difficult discussions and model principled, pluralistic leadership.
Coordination Capacity: Scaffolding for Collective Power. The ecosystem needs connective infrastructure: shared tools, connected platforms, shared data and measurement systems, resourced networks, and coordinated narratives that reduce duplication while amplifying what works. Initiatives like Press Forward for local news have done what we believe could be a model for funders in how we approach creating sustainable infrastructure for scale.

The Fulcrum's Role

These findings directly inform our decision to position The Fulcrum as communications infrastructure for the broader ecosystem. We plan on using the report as a starting point for a collaborative action plan for The Fulcrum and are exploring how we can allocate resources in the coming months to co-create a plan to do so for the greatest impact.

With up to one million monthly readers and built on the partnerships the Bridge Alliance Education Fund has developed across the democracy space, The Fulcrum can serve as both convener and amplifier, facilitating the narrative coordination our research shows is essential while preserving the ideological diversity that gives the movement legitimacy.

Democracy as Practice, Not Just Promise

American democracy faces unprecedented pressures; not just from leaders rejecting constraints, but from millions questioning its relevance to their lives.

Meeting this challenge requires more than defending what exists. It demands reimagining democracy as something Americans actively practice together rather than passively consume. That work begins with building the movement for democracy itself—building the collective identity, compelling narrative, courageous leadership, and shared infrastructure that our research shows remains essential but elusive.

The path forward isn't choosing between reform and relationship, or local versus national efforts. It's weaving them together with the skill, courage, and imagination this moment demands.

Our report doesn't have all the answers, but it offers a framework—a compass, not a map—for navigating this next phase. We invite all who care about America's future to read it, respond to it, and build on it.

The full report is available here .

The Bridge Alliance 2025 Survey of Pro-Democracy Practitioners & Organizations

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 14:18:43 GMT

What’s Next for the Pro-Democracy Community? We Need Your Voice.

The Bridge Alliance has begun 2025 with a strong focus on expanding the work of The Fulcrum and engaging in research on our Path Forward project, an analysis of the state of the pro-democracy community. Starting with The Fulcrum interview series by Scott Warren, " Defining the Democracy Movement ", we have been talking with folks in diverse areas of practice. We have been engaging with field-wide research projects and newly-launched initiatives to network with those setting the course for their organizations going forward and, collectively, all of us. Those conversations have helped define the next phase of the project, this survey.

The results of this survey will be released as a part of our Path Forward report, to be published in late May.

Thousands of individuals and groups are working tirelessly to improve voting , bridge divides, reform institutions, build civic capacity, and ensure access to trusted information. Yet despite the breadth and depth of work being done, many of us are asking:

Are we truly acting as part of a larger collective?
What principles or goals might unify and guide our work?
Where are we succeeding—and where must we grow stronger together?

This survey seeks to surface those insights. Your voice is essential to understanding the current state of our pro-democracy community of practice, and to shaping a path forward that is strategic, inclusive, and ambitious.

�� [ Click here to take the survey ]

All responses will be confidential and data will be shared only in aggregate. Our hope is that this effort will help clarify shared priorities, reveal opportunities for greater coordination, and potentially seed the groundwork for a powerful collective vision.

We know your time is valuable. Thank you for everything you do—and for taking this opportunity to help shape what comes next.

2025 Strategic Plan

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 21:45:52 GMT

The Bridge Alliance started nine years ago, and it has been quite a journey.

We saw many siloes of work, which we felt could be strengthened through collaboration or coop-ition (cooperation + competition). The Bridge Alliance sought to help organizations work better both within their silo of work, and helped the people in the “democracy field” to see the other silos of work as important and additive to the overall whole of our democratic republic. Since then, we’ve witnessed a transformation - a growing sense of community and traction for progress among those dedicated to improving our democracy. Our ability to see the larger whole is no longer unique – many others also see and hold the democracy ecosystem. In that sense our mission has been accomplished.

Despite our many accomplishments, our work is certainly not complete, especially when our nation needs citizen engagement and empowerment more than ever. We must focus more than ever on welcoming and supporting organizations in a co-created movement to bring about a thriving, just and healthy democratic republic.

As leaders of the Bridge Alliance, we are dedicated to finishing the task. We have committed to providing substantial funding to allow the Bridge Alliance to supply the resources and the talent needed to serve as a HUB for the healthy self-governance movement.

2025 STRATEGIC PLAN

A Path Forward for the Pro-Democracy Community

In a writing in The Fulcrum by Scott Warren entitled “A reckoning for the pro-democracy community,” Warren stated the following:

In the wake of former President Donald Trump’s re-election to the White House and the surprising margins of his victory, reckonings abound — not just for the Democratic Party, the future of identity politics, celebrity culture, and elites, but also for a newer faction: the pro-democracy community.

Today, this pro-democracy movement desperately needs to reassess its strategies and tactics. A vision of strengthening and revitalizing the nation’s civic fabric remains essential, regardless of who wins the presidential election. However, the popular vote seems to indicate that the majority of American voters repudiated the Democratic message that Trump is a threat to democracy at best and a potential dictator at worst.

How can we help the movement address the challenge offered by that reality?

In 2024, we transitioned from a membership-based organization to a partner-based model, and in doing so re-framed our mission. That mission remains.

The Bridge Alliance is committed to protecting democracy by educating the public on critical issues and still maintains our three primary goals as the core of our mission:

Expanding the Movement by Welcoming Citizens
Amplifying the Stories of the Movement
Ensuring the Movement Represents All Americans

However, in the face of growing threats to democracy around the globe, the need for corrective action is urgent and thus our mission for 2025 is adapting to meet this urgent need.

In 2025 we will focus our attention and resources on “Helping the Movement Meet this Moment”

How will we do this?

SIX MONTH PATH FORWARD RESEARCH PROJECT

Step 1

We will be focused on collaborations and dialogue with a diverse group of practitioners with different ideological backgrounds who we will ask to offer their candid thoughts on where the community has succeeded, where it has fallen short, and where it needs to focus on moving forward. This analysis will include equally as candid analysis and conclusions by us.

Despite the common bond of healthy self-governance that binds us together there is no defining manifesto. There is no clear mission or constitution for the many democratic reforms and bridging organizations that define common core principles.

Our work will better define what is needed for “us” to become a movement that builds a thriving, just, and healthy democratic republic and fulfills its potential as a national social and political game-changer. For the work we are doing to truly become a movement, our efforts must resonate with everyday Americans who are not politically engaged, and to do so we must connect with them by exciting them as to how we can all Thrive Together. Yes politics is important but most people are more concerned about meaningful work, housing, health and safety and their communities.

This exploration of developing a common Movement agenda will be covered in detail in The Fulcrum, including additional analysis by practitioners, academics, and citizens. We will then build upon this analysis by convening one-on-one and group dialogues to add to what was learned in these conversations.

Step 2

We will now focus on turning the information and analysis from phase 1 and 2 into an action plan for The Bridge Alliance based on social impact assessment and social impact measurements. This will involve evaluating the effects and outcomes of past and present social and political initiatives and programs to understand their effectiveness and impact. We hope to do this in coordination with other movement partners.

Step 3

Based on what is learned from steps 1 and 2, the Bridge Alliance intends to invest resources of time and money in projects with other movement leaders in a manner that gives the Bridge Alliance and the movement the highest probability of significant impact.

In addition to incorporating data learned from our Path Forward study, all new projects for 2025 and beyond will align with the work of The Fulcrum, the Bridge Alliance, and our DEI Efforts. The moonshot goal is to activate and engage 12 million citizens in the healthy self-governance movement.

THE FULCRUM

The Fulcrum has become the signature project of The Bridge Alliance. In the last two months of 2024, The Fulcrum reached a milestone for October and November having over 1,050,000 views for the two months combined on the Fulcrum site directly and on outlets like MSN, SmartNews, Apple News, and others that are now publishing our content. Plus, we have considerable additional readership from our content that is picked up by local newspapers across the country.

On January 1st, Hugo Balta, Fulcrum’s director of solutions journalism and DEI initiatives, became our Executive Editor. Hugo is a 30-year multimedia journalism veteran with multiple market and platform experience. Click here for the public announcement in The Fulcrum that offers information as to Hugo’s experience as well as updated information about the Fulcrum.

With Hugo leading our efforts, plus with the additional resources that we have, the Fulcrum will be focused on doubling the reach of this valuable platform.......a platform “For the Movement” to amplify and scale the important work you do!

The Fulcrum will do this by:

Expanding the Movement by Welcoming Citizens: By spotlighting the best stories and actions within our movement, sharing them far and wide, more citizens will become involved.
Ensuring the Movement Represents All Americans: We're committed to ensuring that every American voice is heard and accounted for in this journey. We are committed to living into diversity -- not just making it a “goal” to be “attained,” but making it part of our operating system.
Social Media: Through our vast social media presence with over 940,000 followers and our network of posting and streaming partners, we will continue to amplify the work and events to existing and new audiences through our owned and earned social media amplification programs.
Solutions Journalism: For our nation to address the serious problems facing us, we must work together to find solutions. The Fulcrum will incorporate a “Solutions Journalism” approach. This approach investigates and explains, in a critical and clear-eyed way, how people work together to solve widely shared problems. While journalists usually define news as “what’s gone wrong,” solutions journalism tries to expand that definition by responding to problems that are newsworthy and adding rigorous coverage of solutions that allows our journalists to tell the whole story. The fulcrum strives to listen differently, to go beneath the problems, to embrace complexity, and counter confirmation bias, all with the goals of driving more effective citizenship

CONCLUSION

As leaders within the growing democracy movement, your input is invaluable. We want your advice and counsel. While this letter is an attempt to clearly communicate our vision, oftentimes the biggest problem with communications like this is the illusion that we have effectively communicated our vision. For us to succeed, for us to amplify and scale the plan I have just outlined, it is critically important that BAEF communicates and engages effectively with all stakeholders, grantees, donors, and members of the community at large.

Our team will strive to be deliberative and forthcoming with regular future communications. We will share which decisions have been made, which decisions have yet to be made, and what the timeline will be as we move forward. We will be soliciting input on optimal ways to handle the transition.

By doing this, we will amplify our role as the connective tissue between individual community and national efforts to strengthen our republic.

For a better future,

Kristina Becvar and David L. Nevins

Executive Director and Chairman of the Board

Bridge Alliance Education Fund

The Fulcrum's Website Makeover, Project 2025, and Political Violence

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 22:48:54 GMT

While we took a break from the newsletter for a couple weeks, we have been hard at work on something big

I hope you had a positive holiday week and transition back. While we took a break from the newsletter for a couple weeks, we have been hard at work on something big - our soft launch of the new and improved Fulcrum website! If you haven't visited it yet in July, I encourage you to do so. I welcome and hope to receive feedback as well.

If you're a regular Fulcrum reader, you have likely already noticed the refresh - and you have also noted a lot of discussion about Project 2025. If you hadn’t heard much about Project 2025 prior to this month, you no doubt have heard about it now. Since actress Taraji P. Henson called for the audience to look at the project while hosting the annual BET Awards, Google searches for the term have increased 500% .

Although the project plan was released in April 2023, it has gained more prominence in our country’s consciousness as the 2024 election approaches. Project 2025 is the latest iteration of 40 years of conservative policy recommendations from the Heritage Foundation. Historical implementation of these recommendations is notable: Ronald Reagan adopted half of them , and Donald Trump, despite claims of unfamiliarity with the project, enacted 64% of that version’s recommendations in his first year in office. Given this track record, a thorough examination of the proposals is essential for those interested in their potential impact on policy.

The relationship between Project 2025 and efforts to bridge political divides and promote civic engagement is multifaceted. On one hand, the project offers a clear agenda that can serve as a foundation for discussions and debates on policy issues. This can be an opportunity to foster dialogue and understanding by using these proposals as starting points. However, Project 2025’s highly partisan nature poses risks. It may deepen ideological divisions, stifle diverse thought, and marginalize certain groups . This dual potential necessitates careful consideration and balanced discussion.

Political Violence

In addition to the ongoing discussions about Project 2025, we must acknowledge last week’s shocking event: the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. This incident is a stark reminder of the volatile political climate we are navigating. It also underscores the importance of our mission to foster dialogue and promote understanding across divides.

The Fulcrum has been running a diverse set of pieces written by our contributors and partners as we all have processed the shooting, and will continue to publish pieces that explore the connections between polarization, policy discussions, and political violence. Political violence is never acceptable. At the same time, those who engage in political violence should never be given the power to stop the respectful dialogue about those issues. It is our job as practitioners and citizens to continue to have principled conversations about policy proposals that will affect all of us and are on the table for the November 2024 election.

Project 2025 Analyses

For over a month, The Fulcrum has been dedicated to facilitating these discussions about potential policies. We are publishing analyses of each of the 30 chapters of Project 2025, as well as on overarching topics addressed across multiple chapters. Our approach is cross-partisan, examining the validity of the issues raised and exploring less partisan solutions.

Cross-Partisan Project 2025 series analyses to date include:

We do not shy away from the project's most controversial elements and call out dangerous thinking that threatens democracy when necessary. Our commitment to intellectual honesty requires that our analyses are both informative and compelling.

Explore our published analyses on Project 2025 in The Fulcrum, and make sure to subscribe to The Fulcrum weekday newsletter for updates on future installments in this series.

By engaging with these topics through informed, honest dialogue, we can better understand the implications of Project 2025 and work towards a healthier democratic republic.

Podcasts

Ballotpedia (On The Ballot) July 18th: Polling update: Vance's impact + Biden's prospects
Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) July 11th: Finding Common Ground in a Divided Congress
DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?), June 26th: Jim & Richard: A Friendship Across Divides
Issue One (Democracy Fix) July 2nd: The High Costs of 'Free Speech' in the Digital Age ft. Dr. Mary Anne Franks
Politics in Question, July 1st: Is American democracy in crisis?
The Democracy Group (Democracy in Danger) July 10th: The Struggle Continues

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Unify America (July 24th @ 8:00 pm EDT) Unify Challenge
Fix Democracy First (July 24th @ 5:00 pm PST) Democracy Happy Hour
Citizen Discourse (July 25th @ 11:00 am CDT) Conversation Collective
American Public Square (July 25th @ 5:30 pm CDT) Cocktails & Politics with Esther George
Convergence (July 30th @ 1:00 pm CDT) Convergence Book Launch Celebration
Resolutionaries (August 5th @ 12:00 am PDT) Productive Disagreements

The U.S. Flag as a Distress Symbol

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 17:21:40 GMT

Preparing for Independence Day Celebrations of the Flag

Comparing the year leading up to the 2020 presidential election to this year, it’s striking how much has changed in the American consciousness. The divisions that deepened after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection often seem irreparable. Once unimaginable discord with family, friends and neighbors has now become commonplace. This new reality includes a further divide over what the American flag represents.

In the weeks leading up to Flag Day, I wrote about the difficulty of the flag representing a unifying ideal in a complex country . The flag's meaning has become contentious in a politically divided America, often seen as aligning with conservative ideologies. I offered that to reclaim the flag as a unifying emblem, Americans must engage in open dialogue, acknowledging the country’s complex history and fostering understanding and empathy in search of common ground.

However, many readers disagreed with the idea that dialogue and the search for a new common ideal could bridge the severe partisan poisoning of their patriotism. They felt it was naïve to believe that a conversation about the flag's meaning could reconcile the stark ideological differences between liberals and conservatives.

I still believe that dialogue is the best option we have for overcoming our differences. But I also acknowledge the concrete reasons people are upset by the politicization of the flag. With Independence Day approaching, it is a good time to finish this thought.

In less polarizing times, even the most ardent flag hardliners took things like flag code violations in stride in the spirit of celebrating the Fourth of July. Now, differences in perception and use of the flag mirror the vast differences among Americans in all aspects of life. Seeing flags flown in ways many people feel are disrespectful by those who have positioned themselves as the most patriotic of Americans can cause anger and frustration. The politicization of the flag is taking its toll.

The flag is not new to being used for political purposes. During the Vietnam War, supporters of the war waved the flag, claiming true patriotism against anti-war protesters. Initially, flag-wavers came from both major political parties. By the end of the Vietnam era, the flag became more associated with the Republican Party.

Today, under Trump’s influence, the flag has become a symbol of exclusive, party-branded loyalty and defiance. The Jan. 6 insurrection exemplified this manipulation, with rioters using flagpoles as weapons and carrying flags while committing acts of violence. These individuals, convinced that free and legal elections were corrupted, claimed the flag and called themselves patriots while acting in contradiction to true patriotism. Their actions have deepened divisions and turned many patriotic Americans against the symbol of their country.

Among those affected are military personnel and veterans, who embody one of America’s most diverse organizations. Regardless of their heritage, color, gender or political beliefs, they defended the flag and the country it represents. Now, many in the military and veteran communities see the flag as desecrated by partisan politics.

Another form of flag desecration for political purposes is the use of the inverted flag. What should be a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property has become a signal of frustration and anger with opposing political power. Its use in issue-based protests has been observed since the 19th century, but its usage as a partisan symbol was ramped up by Tea Party advocates after Barack Obama’s reelection in 2012 and has reached a fever pitch during the post-Trump era.

In January 2021, many Trump supporters flew their flags upside-down as an anti-Biden protest, falsely claiming the election was stolen. Last month, it was revealed that even Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito flew the flag upside-down at his home during that time. This symbol has gained even more prominence since Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records related to the 2016 presidential election. In response, right-wing figures and supporters displayed the inverted flag on social media, accompanied by messages of distress, outrage, and calls for civil war.

I am fully aware of how difficult the task ahead of us is — repairing a country filled with such anger. I also know that dialogue alone will not cure what ails us. The foundation of the Bridge Alliance is the belief that it will take a diverse ecosystem of solutions working in tandem to bring about a healthier country. But I also know that of those solutions, the ones that every individual can move forward every day is dialogue — and we can use points of connection such as the flag to start those conversations. Few alternatives do not include individuals taking action to turn the tide of division; after all, we know that sending a distress signal isn’t going to help. It’s up to all of us to fix it.

Podcasts

Issue One (Democracy Fix) June 18th: Going on the Offensive Defense: Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes on AI, Security, and Public Trust
Ballotpedia (On The Ballot) June 20th: Personal data and the privacy gaps of political campaigns
Forward, June 24th: Crossing America in an RV: Surprising Truths About Our Divided Nation
Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other, June 24th: Renee DiResta, INVISIBLE RULERS: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality
Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) June 20th: Public Schools: Talking Across the Divide.

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Crossing Party Lines (June 30th @ 7:00 pm CT) What Does Patriotism Mean to You?
National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (July 1st @ 12:00 pm EDT) Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy
Mediators Beyond Borders International (July 3rd @ 10:30 am ET) WordsView – Aligning Words and Aligning Relationships
American Promise (July 3rd @ 8:00 pm CT) Introduction to Money in Politics
Citizen Discourse (July 4th @ 11:00 am CT) Conversation Collective

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Lisa Kay Solomon, June 26th: How to watch the presidential debate with your future in mind
Jonah Goldberg, June 21st: The Supreme Court's role in our partisan polarization has been greatly exaggerated
Whitney Hatch, June 20th: Congress worked across the aisle on a bill to protect kids online. Now pass it.
Jenna Spinelle, June 17th: Fellowship brings Gen Z voices into democracy and podcasting
Staff, June 14th: Project 2025: A cross-partisan approach

In The News

AASCU (Diverse Education) June 13th: Landscape Review Finds More Questions in Link Between Higher Ed and Civic Engagement
Leadership Now Project (AZ Central) June 17th: As CEOs, we will not tolerate threats against Arizona election workers
RepresentUs (NPR) June 18th: Invest like a Congress member
Issue One (C-SPAN) June 20th: Former Reps. Zach Wamp and Tim Roemer on Election Security and Threats to Democracy
Horizons Foundation (Sojourners) June 24th: Faith and the Authoritarian Playbook

Navigating the Polycrisis

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 18:22:36 GMT

Insights from the Mediators Foundation

It's no coincidence that the work of the Mediators Project resonates with me, as the organization is part of the original DNA of the Bridge Alliance . The latest instance of my head nodding in agreement stems from this week's article by the Mediators Project’s Mark Gerzon and Mesa Sebree. It really gets to the core of how all those working in the healthy democracy ecosystem can collectively approach the complex web of issues facing the world known as the polycrisis.

The term "polycrisis" usually describes a situation where multiple crises intersect and amplify one another, creating a compounded and more severe impact than each crisis would have individually. This concept also suggests that the interactions between various crises can lead to more complex and unpredictable challenges. In a polycrisis, the different crises are not just co-occurring; their interconnections exacerbate the overall situation, making it more challenging to manage and resolve. For example, an economic downturn might worsen political instability, hindering effective responses to climate change or public health threats. The term underscores the need for comprehensive and coordinated approaches to address these interconnected issues.

The concept of polycrisis has a rich history, rooted in systems thinking and complexity science . These disciplines have long studied how interconnected crises can compound and amplify one another. The term “polycrisis” was first used in the 1990s by Edgar Morin and Anne Brigitte Kern, as detailed in the Cascade Institute report cited by Gerzon and Sebree. More recently, the term was popularized by Jean-Claude Juncker, the former president of the European Commission. He used the term in a 2016 speech to describe the multiple overlapping crises facing Europe, including the Syrian refugee crisis, Russian security threats to Ukraine, the Greek debt crisis, and Brexit. Most recently, the World Economic Forum at Davos pushed the term into the lexicon of business executives and elites, a sign that it has thoroughly infiltrated our society.

Gerzon and Sebree outline perspectives on the 10 most distinct interlocking issues of the polycrisis as they currently understand it. Each perspective is presented as a critical, interconnected issue that requires a holistic and integrated approach to tackle the polycrisis effectively. They are:

Endangered democracy.
Climate change.
Economic injustice.
Toxic polarization.
Artificial intelligence/tech.
Mental health.
Racism.
Nuclear war.
Gender discrimination.
The illusion of separateness.

They continue with an exploration of five strategies for addressing the polycrisis, acknowledging the challenges practitioners focused on each sector of work face in competing for resources and attention. Despite those challenges, it remains unavoidable that each cause impacts and is impacted by the rest and more unanticipated factors. No less important is the truth that individuals engaging in social change work must be mindful of maintaining their mental health and spiritual practices and constantly remain open to changing their perspective.

Finally, the article's analysis turns to priority setting. There is often a focus on "the global polycrisis," but the nature of interconnected challenges lends the concept to vary depending on place and time. The crises we face as global citizens affect and are affected by the crises specifically facing American society. Similarly, the crises we face as Americans affect and are affected by the crises specifically facing individual states and communities. Just as national practitioners cannot and are not looking to focus on accessing the levers of global institutional power, local communities must realize their agency in addressing what they need to develop to adapt to survive the effects of the polycrises.

Our community of practice in the healthy democracy ecosystem has demonstrated the effectiveness of supporting bottom-up civic engagement while maintaining national resources to support communities. The Mediators Foundation is looking toward the Resilience Funders Network model and exploring ways to best support broader dialogue about the scope and strategy of communities for working within the polycrisis. At a time when these challenges are on our screens and in our minds, it is reassuring to read this vital take on how we can face them head-on.

Podcasts

Bridge Alliance (Collage) June 7th: Pilgrimage: An Experience of Purpose
UVA Karsh (Democracy in Danger) June 12th: The Poles Have Spoken
Ballotpedia (On The Ballot) June 6th: BP's Administrative State Legislation Tracker
The Democracy Group (Politics in Question) June 12th: What is the state of American democracy?
Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) June 6th: Pro-Life and Pro-Choice Leaders Together in the Same Room: Reverend Anne Fowler and Francis Hogan

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Crossing Party Lines (June 16th @ 5:00 pm ET) Cybersecurity: Keeping Our Country Safe?
Business for America (June 18th @ 9:00 am CDT) Deceptive AI in the 2024 Election: A conversation with Sen. Amy Klobuchar
92NY Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact (June 27th @ 5 pm EDT) Information Session: Share Our Organization Toolkit
National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (July 1st @ 12:00 pm EDT) Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Steve Corbin, June 4th: Project 2025 is a threat to democracy
Walter H. White, Jr., June 6th: Justice Alito doesn't understand the history of white power
Hans Zeiger, June 5th: This election season, America needs civic role models
F. Willis Johnson, June 4th: This Pride Month, our rights are under fire
Scott Klug, June 4th: The U.S. election system was already wobbling, and now here comes AI

In The News

American Promise (The Hill) June 5th: Pay-to-play politics is killing our democracy — we can save it using the Constitution
Issue One (Roll Call) June 4th: Election officials, retired lawmakers plead for more money to protect voting
MWEG (Religion News) June 5th: Finding humanity at the border — in migrants, the Border Patrol and ourselves
National Civic League (ABC News Charleston) June 12th: Low voter turnout in S.C.'s 2024 statewide primary is actually a little more complicated
Veterans for All Voters (Daily Montanan) June 12th: Election reform group says it gathered enough signatures for Nov. ballot

What's the Worst That Could Happen?

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 18:11:25 GMT

Managing election anxiety and building resilience

As we approach the 2024 presidential election, now less than five months away, the nation is enveloped in a climate of urgency and concern. Conversations around kitchen tables, in boardrooms, and across social media platforms are dominated by a palpable anxiety about the future of our democracy. This election feels different because it is different — marked by deep polarization, misinformation and a growing distrust in our electoral processes.

Americans are deeply worried about the integrity of the upcoming election. Concerns range from the potential for foreign interference to the spreading of false information online and from the fairness of the electoral process to the specter of voter suppression. This pervasive anxiety is taking its toll, and many of us are struggling with feelings of instability, loss of control, and unpredictability. One helpful technique for managing these feelings is “decatastrophizing,” a cognitive behavioral therapy method that involves challenging and reframing catastrophic thoughts. By asking yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen?” and then balancing it with the most likely and best-case scenarios, you can bring clarity to your thoughts and reduce anxiety. This technique helps us realize that the worst-case scenario is often less probable than it seems when it’s just running through our minds.

Reflecting on this, I recall how much I enjoyed the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books as a child. These books offered a way to face the unknown and explore various outcomes, which reminds me of the importance of proactive thinking in uncertain times. This week, I came across a resource shared by multiple people in our community from Choose Democracy. Its tool, styled as a “Choose Your Own Adventure,” asks, “ What If Trump (or Biden) Wins? ” and offers (and will soon add additional) scenario-planning tools and resources to help individuals and organizations prepare for potential election outcomes.

The interactive site intends to explore different paths of resistance and their impacts on democracy, featuring interviews, strategy articles, and facilitator guides for scenario planning. While it’s framed with specific assumptions about behavior consistent with Trump’s past actions and stated plans, it is not a tool that addresses all predictions or concerns. However, people have offered feedback that walking through these scenarios serves as a reminder to stay focused on resilience and action. Regardless of the election outcome, our work towards a healthy democratic society continues to be critical well beyond 2024.

As we prepare for the upcoming months, remember that proactive thinking and preparation can help mitigate feelings of helplessness. Our commitment to a healthy democratic society will persist, reinforcing the importance of staying engaged, informed, and resilient in the face of challenges.

Podcasts

The McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) June 3rd: Season finale: Protests, debates, and the "meh" election
Ballotpedia (On The Ballot) May 30th: This year's trending ballot measures
DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?) May 30th: The Case For Ranked Choice Voting. Rob Richie
The Democracy Group, May 29th: Introducing Jonesin' Around | TDG Fellowship
Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) May 23rd: How The Media Rage Machine Divides America: Chris Stirewalt

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Crossing Party Lines (June 9th @ 7:00 pm CDT) Who are the Immigrants?
Bipartisan Policy Center (June 11th @ 9:30 am EDT) 2024 Summit on Housing Supply Solutions
Living Room Conversations (June 11th @ 4:00 pm PDT) LGBTQIA+: Author Talk & Living Room Conversation
Fix Democracy First (June 12th @ 5:00 pm PDT) Democracy Happy Hour
Citizen Discourse (June 13th @ 11:00 am CDT) Conversation Collective

Featured Fulcrum Articles

John Opdycke, May 27th: The speech Joe Biden won't give
Mikayla Paquette, May 27th: Community through basketball is a slam dunk for future generations
Sam Daley-Harris, May 30th: Taylor Swift: 'I need to be on the right side of history'
Rajiv Vinnakota, May 30th: Universities must renew their commitment to democracy
Steve Corbin, June 4th: Project 2025 is a threat to democracy

In The News

Horizons Project (Just Security) June 5th: Clowns, Reverse Boycotts, and Involuntary Walkathons: How Communities are Making Political Violence Backfire
American Promise (The Hill) June 4th: Pay-to-play politics is killing our democracy — we can save it using the Constitution
A More Perfect Union: The Jewish Partnership for Democracy (Inside Philanthropy) June 4th: Faith-Based Funding Can Help Protect Democracy
Open Primaries (The Hill) June 4th: This November, Arizona could change the rules of electoral politics
Unite America (PBS Newshour) May 30th: How open primaries and ranked-choice voting can help break partisan gridlock

Reclaiming the American flag: A symbol of unity in a divided nation

Thu, 30 May 2024 22:53:00 GMT

Flag Day is observed annually on June 14.

Flag Day is observed annually on June 14, commemorating the adoption of the American flag by the Second Continental Congress in 1777. This day is rooted in a desire to honor the symbol of the nation's values and aspirations, cemented by President Woodrow Wilson's proclamation in 1916 and the official law signed by President Harry Truman in 1949.

Flying the American flag symbolizes national pride, evoking a sense of unity and shared values. It represents freedom, democracy and the relentless pursuit of a more perfect union. The flag has served as a stand-in for the nation for many years, representing a shared identity and a common set of beliefs about the country's meaning. However, as the country has self-sorted into tribes with conflicting identities, Americans are much less likely to agree on what set of beliefs the flag has come to represent. Over time, the flag has become a contentious symbol, representing divergent political views and igniting debate about its meaning. Often, displaying the flag is seen as aligning with a specific political ideology, commonly associated with conservative values.

Some people have made it a habit to display signs of tribal affiliations alongside their American flag. In more liberal enclaves, you might see a pride flag or a Black Lives Matter flag accompanying the American flag, though more often, these flags fly alone. Conversely, in conservative circles, the American flag is frequently paired with the Gadsden flag, Trump flags, Blue Lives Matter flags and even Confederate flags.

Even as a stand-alone symbol, the American flag can invoke conflicting meanings.

For many Americans, the flag is a testament to the sacrifices made by countless individuals to uphold the values of liberty and justice. Because so many Americans have died wearing the flag in military pursuits, it's hard not to see it as both a sign of honor for those lives lost and as a symbol of foreign military intervention. This duality can foster feelings of separation among those hesitant to support military interventionist policies.

The flag of our country, by definition, symbolizes nationalism. With a large cohort of the current Republican Party advocating for a form of nationalism — Christian Nationalism — it is understandable that the flag can be seen as affiliated with one political party. The perception of nationalism as exclusionary can also create a sense of alienation for those who feel excluded from this narrative, particularly marginalized communities who have historically struggled to attain the full promise of American democracy.

The flag has also played a significant role in social and political movements throughout American history. During the civil rights movement, activists often carried the flag to symbolize their fight for equality and justice. In recent years, the flag has been prominently featured in protests and rallies, whether flown by those advocating for social change or those resisting it, highlighting its dual role as a symbol of unity and dissent.

Americans with varied beliefs continue to feel a sense of ownership in their country while assigning meaning to the flag based on their beliefs. However, we are missing the cohesion that came from a time when we had a more widely shared identity. The challenge, then, lies in reclaiming the flag as a unifying symbol that transcends political divides in a time with more diversity in America than ever. The flag, a symbol that should represent all Americans, has the potential to embody the diverse tapestry of cultures, beliefs and experiences that define the nation. It should remind us of our collective responsibility to strive for a society where everyone can enjoy the freedoms and opportunities that the flag symbolizes, inspiring us all to work towards a common goal of unity and shared values.

To achieve this, engaging in open, respectful dialogue about what the flag means to different people is crucial. By actively listening to each other's perspectives, we can begin to heal the divisions and reclaim the flag as a symbol of inclusivity and shared values. This process requires acknowledging the flag's complex history and the different ways it is perceived while also reaffirming our commitment to the core principles that unite us as a nation. We can pave the way for a more inclusive and united America by fostering understanding and empathy through dialogue.

As Flag Day 2024 approaches, our community can do its part to foster dialogue about what the flag represents to folks we engage with. We have the opportunity to reframe the flag to represent our shared aspirations and a beacon of hope for all Americans. By doing so, we can honor the true spirit of the flag and the ideals it stands for, fostering a sense of unity and pride that encompasses our nation's rich diversity.

Podcasts

Ballotpedia (On The Ballot) May 30th: This year's trending ballot measures
DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?) May 30th: The Case For Ranked Choice Voting. Rob Richie
Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) May 23rd: How The Media Rage Machine Divides America: Chris Stirewalt
The Democracy Group, May 29th: Introducing Jonesin' Around | TDG Fellowship
The McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) May 19th: How elected strongmen weaken democracy

Citizen Connect's Evolution as a Tool for Civic Hope

Thu, 23 May 2024 17:35:01 GMT

Connecting citizens to opportunities to be active in strengthening democracy

We are constantly hit with reminders of the divisive state of society in the news and social media. It is very easy to get caught up in a cycle of frustration, anger, tribalism, and resignation when thinking about what comes next in our collective future. We all need to find tools to make it easier to break that cycle and focus our energy, stress, and anxiety about the future into something that helps us make meaning out of this moment in time. Citizen Connect is one of those tools.

Citizen Connect , a signature project of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund alongside The Fulcrum, is a complementary vehicle for delivering on BAEF's primary goals. As a “front door” to over 600 organizations, Citizen Connect welcomes people to the healthy democracy movement, offering access to many resources and events to foster civic learning, engagement and understanding.

Launched in early 2021 amid deepening political divides and widespread misinformation in America, Citizen Connect has emerged as a beacon of hope. The platform was created to bridge the ever-widening gaps in our society by connecting individuals with diverse viewpoints and fostering constructive dialogue.

Recognizing the need to tailor the site as our communities have evolved, Citizen Connect has been re-architected to present focused landing pages that reflect key areas of practice among our practitioners. These pages are dedicated to resources on bridging, civic learning and participation, governance, and trustworthy information:

Find Common Ground : Facilitating understanding and collaboration among people with different perspectives.
Democracy 101 : Educating citizens about the fundamentals of democracy and the importance of civic participation, as well as offering ways to increase civic engagement.
Change the System : Promoting systemic reforms that enhance democratic integrity and functionality.
Seek the Truth : Addressing misinformation and promoting media literacy to ensure a well-informed citizenry.

In addition to these core areas, Citizen Connect has introduced a top-level section of hot topics to provide visitors with immediate points of entry and action on pressing issues. As a movement, we’ve talked a lot about rapid response and addressing current issues. Initially focusing on critical election-related topics such as voting , nonviolence , and disinformation , these pages are adaptable and can be expanded to cover more subjects and create localized hub guides.

Despite the site’s reconfiguration to include these new landing pages, Citizen Connect has preserved its original functionality. Users can still search for events , on-demand content and organizations as before. This ensures that the platform remains a comprehensive resource for those seeking to engage in civic activities and familiarly access valuable information.

The resources and events offered by Citizen Connect are not just tools but a vital lifeline for those seeking to foster understanding and meaningfully engage in civic life. By connecting individuals with diverse organizations and initiatives, Citizen Connect empowers citizens to take an active role in shaping the future of democracy.

Podcasts

Andrew Yang (Forward) May 19th: Political software is a walled garden. Can anyone break through?
DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?) May 16th: Refuge: A Unique Strength of Liberalism: Professor Bryan Garsten
Politics in Question, May 16th: What is the state of American Democracy?
The Democracy Group (Future Hindsight) May 22nd: The Path to Decarbonization
The McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) May 19th: How elected strongmen weaken democracy

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Network for Responsible Public Policy (May 23rd @ 7:30 pm EDT) Identity in Urban-Rural Political Division: Consequences and Solutions
Bipartisan Policy Center (May 28th @ 1:00 pm EDT) The Evolution of Digital Literacy in the Age of AI
Braver Angels (June 1st @ 2:00 pm EDT) Depolarizing Within
Brookings (June 3rd @ 6:00 pm EDT) Paths to progress: Race, equity and democracy
Bridge Entertainment Labs (June 4th @ 1:00 pm PDT) What’s Making Us Laugh? What Role Does Comedy Play in Pulling Us Together – or Driving Us Apart?

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Steven Hill, May 23rd: Do high housing costs threaten the American dream?
Clark Merrefield, May 23rd: 5 things to know about election administration funding: A research-based tip sheet
F. Willis Johnson, May 22nd: The Olympics encourage democratic reflection
Stephen Rogers, May 21st: What is the Antisemitism Awareness Act?
Seth David Radwell, May 14th: Trump was spot-on when he spoke of 'American carnage'

Strategies for Bridging Divides and Enhancing Discourse in the Digital Age

Thu, 09 May 2024 14:03:15 GMT

Beyond Echo Chambers

The current research and polling in the field is so robust that I've split my summaries into research this week and polling and reports next week. There is much to learn from the increased focus on solving our most wicked problems.

As digital landscapes dominate our sources of information and social interaction, understanding the nuanced interplay of political polarization, misinformation, and public discourse has never been more crucial. Recent studies provide a comprehensive look at these complex dynamics, highlighting the multifaceted challenges and potential pathways to mitigating divisive discourse in our society.

Echo Chambers and Misinformation

The intricate dance of algorithms and user interactions leads to communities bonded not by shared truths but by shared beliefs, often unvetted and unchecked.

Central to these challenges is the concept of "echo chambers," which are prevalent on social media platforms. As detailed in new research from Penn State, these digital spaces enhance group identities and facilitate environments where misinformation proliferates. The study " Inside the Echo Chamber: Linguistic Underpinnings of Misinformation on Twitter " delves into how specific linguistic patterns reinforce group thinking and misinformation, particularly around contentious issues like vaccinations and election fraud.

The " Information Cocoons on Social Media " study adds depth to our understanding of online interactions. It discusses how social media algorithms might encourage ideological segregation by curating content that aligns with users' pre-existing beliefs. The paper suggests algorithm tweaks to introduce a broader spectrum of information could counteract this, potentially reducing polarization.

Informed Ignorance and Misinformation Inoculation

The problem isn't just the lack of diverse information but its overwhelming abundance, which can lead to "informed ignorance." This paradox, where more information leads to less knowledge, is detailed in “ Informed Ignorance as a Form of Epistemic Injustice .” This overabundance, rife with misinformation, exacerbates societal divides and calls for practical solutions to improve public understanding.

One such solution is using interactive games to teach users to discern and resist misleading information effectively, as explored in the study " Gamified inoculation reduces susceptibility to misinformation from political ingroups. " By engaging individuals in game-based learning, this method fosters critical thinking and resistance to misleading information, regardless of political alignment.

Constructive Discourse Amidst Division

The potential for constructive discourse across political divides is more realistic than it may appear. The study " Misplaced Divides? Discussing Political Disagreement With Strangers Can Be Unexpectedly Positive " points to the potential for positive engagement across political divides, as demonstrated in studies where individuals engaging in discussions with political opponents found the experience surprisingly pleasant. This research suggests that should we bridge these divides beneath the turbulent surface of our digital discourse, there are opportunities for genuine connection and understanding.

The Cost of Polarization

However, openness to opposing viewpoints can sometimes entail reputational risks, especially in highly polarized environments. The study on the reputational costs of political openness explores this dilemma. It shows that while being receptive to differing political views can be intellectually enriching, it may also lead to social backlash in certain contexts.

Moreover, the persistent calls for a third political party, as detailed in the research on disaffected partisans , reflect a broader dissatisfaction with the existing political landscape. Interestingly, those advocating for a third party often exhibit levels of polarization comparable to those loyal to the traditional parties. That is not to validate any myth of independents as cloaked partisans but instead serves to underscore the deep-rooted ideological divisions we are struggling with. No one is immune.

The Path Forward

The highlighted studies reveal the complex challenges digital media and misinformation pose in shaping public opinion and discourse. They stress the need for innovative educational tools, algorithmic adjustments, and a culture of open dialogue to bridge divides effectively. While these challenges are daunting, they are not insurmountable. We can foster a more informed, equitable, and united society with a strategic approach to digital interactions and misinformation.

In our journey through the digital age's vast information ocean, we must navigate these waters with wisdom and vigilance.

Podcasts

Bridge Alliance (Collage) May 5th: Preserving Sacred Space: An Activist's Response
McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) May 6th: 30 years of democracy in South Africa
The Democracy Group (The Politics Guys) May 8th: Can Capitalism Save the Planet?
The Great Battlefield, May 8tth: Countering Disinformation with David Goldstein of We Defend Truth
Social Media and Politics, May 5th: Web Browsing Data to Study Digital Political Behavior, with Prof. Sebastian Stier

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Brookings (May 16th @ 1:00 pm EDT) Black voters and the complexity of race and politics in the 2024 elections
Living Room Conversations (May 16th @ 1:00 pm MDT) Mental Health
Braver Angels (May 18th @ 2:00 pm EDT) Families and Politics
Crossing Party Lines (May 19th @ 5:00 pm PDT) Citizenship: Are U.S. Requirements Too Strict or Too Lax?
American Promise (May 20th @ 5:00 pm CDT) A Conversation with Michael Donne and Maureen Kline

Featured Fulcrum Articles

F. Willis Johnson, May 1st: The history and impact of Asian American and Pacific Islander Month
Meaghan Downer, May 2nd: Voters face new rules for mailed ballots in battleground states
Rachel Funk Fordham & Jacon M. Brumbach, May 2nd: Are U.S. companies living up to their commitments to democracy?
Manu Meel, May 2nd: Columbia's firestorm is just the beginning. Here's how philanthropy can respond.
Steven Hill, May 7th: Gas prices up again? What’s going on?

Members In The News

American Promise (Newsmax) April 24th: Schumer-Tied Dark Money Group Targets GOP Candidate
Business for America (The Statehouse File) April 30th: In fraught election year, program seeks to reduce political polarization at work
FairVote (KERA News) April 24th: GOP-led recount verifies election results of Dallas-area primary
Mormon Women for Ethical Government (Yahoo) May 4th: This pro-family bill is stalled in the U.S. Senate. Crapo, Risch should get behind it
Future Caucus (Washington Post) May 7th: Buck up, America. Help is on the way.

Staying Informed & Engaged With The Fulcrum

Fri, 03 May 2024 05:54:29 GMT

Updates about The Fulcrum and a new YouTube channel!

Many of you are also subscribers of The Fulcrum (and if you're not and want to be, join us !) For readers and for those still unfamiliar, this week I want to share some updates on the initiative.

The Fulcrum is one of the signature projects of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund, a digital news journal dedicated to enhancing discourse and mutual understanding among citizens and healthy democracy practitioners. Our core aims are to earn trust and respect by promoting news about bridging, reform, and civic education, encouraging civil political dialogue, embracing a variety of opinion perspectives, and adhering to factual accuracy in reporting. Over the past year, the Fulcrum has also worked to evolve our methods and amplification to incorporate the principles of Solutions Journalism , which delves into the nuances of divisive issues, seeks trustworthy information, and fosters meaningful discussions across differing viewpoints. We've also recently begun publishing some syndicated columnists that share perspectives from across different political ideologies.

These changes have also led to a 350% increase in users so far in 2024 over last year, but also a strong increase in the number of original articles being picked up on the Tribune news service and published in local newspapers across the country - and the world. Our stories have been picked up nearly 2,500 times so far this year! This evolution is an important part of our vision for leveraging The Fulcrum to be an amplifier for the best stories of the collective efforts of the healthy democracy ecosystem.

We know our Bridge Alliance community has always been supportive of the Fulcrum, and appreciate that support. We hope you’ll continue to support us through the growth of our new YouTube channel, which we’d love to share with you. Click on the YouTube link and subscribe, and you can access our Fulcrum Democracy Forum interview series, music and features, and be ready for what comes next as it continues to develop!

Next week, I'll be sharing another polling and research update - if you have any research from the past couple of months that you think would be beneficial for the community, please send them my way!

Podcasts

Ballotpedia (On The Ballot) April 25th: MIT reports a decade's progress in election admin across US
Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) April 25th: Bipartisan Trust and Common Ground in Congress: Reps Dusty Johnson (R) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D)
The Democracy Group (The Politics Guys) April 17th: The Uses and Abuses of the Modern University
The Village Square (Village SquareCast) April 25th: Jonathan Haidt: The Anxious Generation
R Street Institute (Politics in Question) April 29th: Do white rural Americans pose a threat to democracy?

Citizen Connect Featured Events

The Growing Democracy Project (May 3rd @ 12:00 pm EDT) Invitation to ProSocial Café – Consciously Developing Democracy
Resolutionaries (May 6th @ 12:00 pm PDT) Scale Up: Tools for Managing Political Polarization
Sphere Education Initiative (May 7th @ 12:00 pm EDT) Sea‐Launched Nuclear Cruise Missile: Necessary or Excessive?
Unify America (May 7th @ 2:00 pm EDT) Unify Challenge
The Village Square (May 9th) God Squad: Seeking Higher Ground in the School Wars

Featured Fulcrum Articles

F. Willis Johnson, April 25th: Protest as a democratic function
Jonah Goldberg, April 26th: The Republican Party can still do what's rational and right. Here's the proof.
Kevin Frazier, April 26th: Amending the Constitution is not just possible – it's necessary
Seth David Radwell, April 30th: The decline of critical thinking
Staff, May 1st: Law Day – May 1 – is more important than ever

Fair Play on Ice and in Elections

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 14:29:30 GMT

The Parallels Between the NHL and U.S. Democracy

The connection between the National Hockey League (NHL) and American democracy may seem worlds apart. But as the Stanley Cup playoffs have kicked off, I've been thinking about a similarity between the two.

In the NHL, a particular controversy arises around the use of the salary cap loophole during the playoffs. Teams are limited in their total player salaries to a strict ceiling but can exceed this cap to cover a player put on long-term injured reserve. While the team must comply with the cap once the player returns during the regular season, the cap restrictions vanish during the playoffs. This creates an opportunity for strategic manipulation: a key player injured in the regular season can be sidelined until the playoffs, allowing the team to bolster its roster temporarily and reintroduce the player just in time for the playoffs.

For example, this season, the Las Vegas Golden Knights leveraged this rule, bringing back their team captain in the playoffs after a long-term injury absence, adding significant talent during his downtime. This tactic isn't new; multiple teams have used the loophole. The focus is so clearly on the Golden Knights because this is the third year they've done it - with the same player. While technically within the rules, such strategies have stirred debates about fairness and the spirit of competition for years.

Although there have been some discussions about reforms, there are challenges. Proposals to close the NHL loophole, such as maintaining the salary cap during playoffs or restricting playoff eligibility based on status at the end of the season, face pushback. And that is where this begins to feel familiar.

American democracy is frequently manipulated through gerrymandering, lobbying, and the disproportionate influence of money in politics. While technically permitted, the use of these practices in our electoral processes sway outcomes and prompts calls for reform. We propose solutions to the problem but receive pushback. Familiarity comes into play when considering the way - and the times - we collectively respond to the calls for reforms.

In a tribal environment, exemplified by the culture surrounding sports teams, we really want our team to win. We can justify the use of creative workarounds when they benefit our end goals. Everyone complains about this loophole until it benefits their team - then, they're only too happy to point out how other teams do the same thing. Full disclosure requires me to point out that as a Chicago Blackhawks fan, I didn't complain about the rule when my team used the loophole in 2015. But I was ruminating enough this year that it inspired this entire thought process. We can see a similar phenomenon in our electoral politics when our chosen team does or does not benefit from a particular advantage.

At the core, both hockey fans and citizens crave a fair contest. Closing the NHL's salary cap loophole would ensure teams compete based on skill, strategy, and teamwork rather than financial maneuvering. Similarly, fortifying laws around campaign finance, lobbying, and voting processes is crucial to restoring and maintaining the integrity of our political system.

Yet, the stakes in these two fields are vastly different. While the integrity of sports leagues affects entertainment and regional pride, the consequences of democratic manipulation ripple through society, affecting governance, public trust, and the fabric of our civic life.

Engaging in this dialogue is essential, not just for the love of hockey or politics, but for the love of fairness and integrity. We must center the discussion about reforms around what we need to do for the entire system to function more effectively - not just when it benefits our team.

Podcasts

Ballotpedia (On The Record) April 4th: Ballotpedia CEO Leslie Graves on engaging young voters
Election Reformers Network (What Voting Means to Me) March 29th: What Voting Means to Me with ERN's Kevin Johnson
Greater Good Science Center (The Science of Happiness) March 28th: How to Talk With People You Disagree With
The McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) April 8th: Democracy is the sum of us
USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future (The Bully Pulpit) April 5th: A Lot Done; A Lot More To Do

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Interfaith America (April 11th @ 2:00 pm CDT) Faith in Elections Playbook: Inspiring Trust Zoom
Network for Responsible Public Policy (April 11th @ 7:30 pm EDT) Returning to Philadelphia: Amending the Constitution for the Twenty-First Century
Peace Harmony Joy Alliance (April 16th @ 7:00 pm EDT) How Do We End the Divisiveness and #DisagreeBetter?
Bipartisan Policy Center (April 17th @ 3:00 pm EDT) Fifty Years of the Congressional Budget Act

Featured Fulcrum Articles

James-Christian B. Blockwood, April 3rd: Bipartisan cooperation needed to navigate immigration's troubled waters
David L. Nevins, April 4th: We must try to 'Let It Be' in 2024
Cindy Black, April 8th: Remove foreign-influenced corporate money from our elections now
Seth David Radwell, April 9th: The tyranny of the minority
Steven Rosenfeld, April 10th: New research finds Arizona GOP rejected Trump and MAGA candidates

Members In The News

Congressional Management Foundation (Business Insider) March 30th: About half of all senior congressional staffers are mulling an exit: The 'physical and psychological toll of this place cannot be understated.'
Bridge Alliance, Election Reformers Network (IVN) April 8th: New Campaign Launches to Ease Panic over Elections that Go Into 'Overtime'
Issue One (USA Today) April 8th: Election offices say they need more funding. Advocates are calling on Congress to help

"Civil War" and Its Place in Civil Discourse

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 15:23:33 GMT

Alex Garland's film "Civil War" is a conversation starter.

In an election year where the air crackles with political tension, the arrival of Alex Garland's film "Civil War" has sparked a broad spectrum of reactions. The movie presents a dystopian vision of a fragmented United States where various factions are at war. This narrative, while unsettling, offers us an opportunity to sit with the discomfort and catalyze it into action. Our partners at Bridge Entertainment Labs invited us to an advance film screening on Monday, and this week's update reflects that experience.

The Essential Role of Journalism

At its heart, "Civil War" eschews partisan politics - it meticulously avoids taking any 'sides' in the real or fictional political world. Instead, it focuses on a group of journalists navigating a war-torn America, serving as a potent reminder of trusted journalists' critical role in a democracy in providing objective truth. Putting war journalists as neutral observers central to the narrative also anchors the film in neutrality. Through their lenses, we witness the chaos of war—stripped of bias, unburdened by allegiance. Garland's decision to set this dystopia in eerily familiar American settings magnifies the impact. Photo journalists' shots juxtaposing the remnants of past 'normalcy' with the current horrors of war serve to thrust the audience into the visceral truth that war, for Americans long something geographically distant, can become an intimate terror.

A Stark Warning Against Political Violence

American political violence and war are real concerns that some Americans may not just believe likely but mistakenly think necessary. Research has indicated that 83% are concerned about political violence , and 15% of Republicans and 20% of Democrats say the country would be better off if large numbers of opposing partisans "just died." 40% of Americans believe a new civil war is "at least somewhat likely in the next ten years."

But the brutality of this film serves well as a cautionary tale for just a slight glimpse into what that could look like. In an interview Tuesday evening , Garland stated that that is the point - he wanted the audience to suddenly feel a really deep, instinctive sense of aversion - of being appalled - at what war within our country's borders would look like. For me, it was a mission accomplished.

Reflections from the Cast

The concerns raised about the film's release during an election year highlight the delicate balance between artistic expression and its impact on societal discourse. While some argue that portraying a nation at war with itself might amplify existing tensions, others see it as an urgent call to reflect on our collective path forward. Kirsten Dunst, one of the film's stars, reflects on this balance , echoing the director in suggesting that the film, in its essence, is an anti-war message, urging viewers to contemplate the consequences of unchecked division and to reconsider the direction in which we could be heading.

Other cast members have spoken about how the film has affected them - compelling them to want to take action. Wagner Moura said , "Now I'm really making an effort to sit down and listen to people that I disagree [with]. And I was absolutely surprised to see that if you value democracy, if you think that democracy is an important thing, then there's lots of common ground." We know that Moura's observation is accurate - research from More in Common on the 'perception gap' shows that we are not nearly as divided as we think.

A Pivot, Not a Prophecy

Though fictional, the backdrop of the movie aligns with concerns raised by thought leaders and advocates within our network regarding the erosion of democratic norms and the rise of authoritarian tendencies fueled by polarization. Regardless of whether this movie was released in 2024 - or at all - we would still be in a divisive and potentially violent time in our politics and history. Perhaps it can be a catalyst for discussions about these challenges we face to a larger number of Americans - prompting us to reflect on our values, our responsibilities as citizens, and the importance of upholding a democracy that is inclusive, resilient, and truly representative of all its people.

Let "Civil War" not be a prophecy of our future but a pivot point towards a more united, democratic society.

Podcasts

Ballotpedia (On The Record) April 4th: Ballotpedia CEO Leslie Graves on engaging young voters
Election Reformers Network (What Voting Means to Me) March 29th: What Voting Means to Me with ERN's Kevin Johnson
Greater Good Science Center (The Science of Happiness) March 28th: How to Talk With People You Disagree With
The McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) April 8th: Democracy is the sum of us
USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future (The Bully Pulpit) April 5th: A Lot Done; A Lot More To Do

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Interfaith America (April 11th @ 2:00 pm CDT) Faith in Elections Playbook: Inspiring Trust Zoom
Network for Responsible Public Policy (April 11th @ 7:30 pm EDT) Returning to Philadelphia: Amending the Constitution for the Twenty-First Century
Peace Harmony Joy Alliance (April 16th @ 7:00 pm EDT) How Do We End the Divisiveness and #DisagreeBetter?
Bipartisan Policy Center (April 17th @ 3:00 pm EDT) Fifty Years of the Congressional Budget Act

Featured Fulcrum Articles

James-Christian B. Blockwood, April 3rd: Bipartisan cooperation needed to navigate immigration's troubled waters
David L. Nevins, April 4th: We must try to 'Let It Be' in 2024
Cindy Black, April 8th: Remove foreign-influenced corporate money from our elections now
Seth David Radwell, April 9th: The tyranny of the minority
Steven Rosenfeld, April 10th: New research finds Arizona GOP rejected Trump and MAGA candidates

Members In The News

Congressional Management Foundation (Business Insider) March 30th: About half of all senior congressional staffers are mulling an exit: The 'physical and psychological toll of this place cannot be understated.'
Bridge Alliance, Election Reformers Network (IVN) April 8th: New Campaign Launches to Ease Panic over Elections that Go Into 'Overtime'
Issue One (USA Today) April 8th: Election offices say they need more funding. Advocates are calling on Congress to help

Democracy Insights in Focus

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 14:14:51 GMT

Polarization, Participation, and Pathways Forward

There is an ever-growing repository of research on the behaviors and beliefs of Americans related to bridge-building, polarization, and our institutions. The proliferation of interest in these critical areas is wonderful, but can also feel overwhelming to keep track of and understand. In the past month, scholars, practitioners, and polls have published some particularly timely and notable articles and pollsters relevant to the healthy democracy movement. Analyzing some of them to share this week, I noted that they seemed to fall into three main themes, but with a wide breadth of issues tackled. I hope these summaries are insightful and useful to you!

Engagement and Participation in Democratic Processes

What motivates bridge building across pernicious group divides? : The article by Peter T. Coleman and Lan H. Phan explores the dynamics of engaging Americans across political and racial divides in bridge-building activities, emphasizing the role of motivational framing. Through six studies, it examines how framing these activities in terms of prevention (avoiding negative outcomes) or promotion (achieving positive outcomes) can influence participation. Results indicate that fitting the framing to individuals' motivational orientation increases willingness to engage in bridge-building. The studies also uncover differences in motivation based on political affiliation, race, and gender, offering insights to assist bridging practitioners.

Understanding Pro-Democracy Conservatives ( Article on the report ): The report by the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University explores the contours of a conservative pro-democracy movement in the current American political landscape. It focuses on the importance of engaging conservatives in democracy reform efforts, traditionally dominated by the left, highlighting the political and personal costs for right-of-center individuals in these activities. Categorizing Americans into three groups based on their views of the 2020 election's legitimacy, the report examines these groups' characteristics, news consumption habits, beliefs about misinformation, and political identity.

Growing Racial Disparities in Voter Turnout, 2008–2022 : The Brennan Center's report reveals a widening gap in voter participation between Black and white Americans, particularly in regions formerly under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. This trend has been increasing since 2012, with the gap expanding more rapidly in areas affected by the Supreme Court's 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision. The report underscores the impact of restrictive voting laws and practices on the turnout of voters of color, emphasizing a growing concern for democracy and participation equality across the United States.

Challenges to Democratic Health and Functioning

Map the System - Political Polarization Report : In partnership with the Institute for Youth in Policy, the 2024 Map the System report by Vanderbilt University's Innovation Center delves into the escalating issue of political polarization in the United States. Employing a design-thinking methodology, the study gathers insights through scholarly research and interviews with 15 stakeholders to explore the roots of political polarization and propose potential levers for change, including electoral reform, media literacy, and enhanced civic education.

Most say democracy is essential for the U.S. identity, but few think it is functioning well : The AP-NORC poll highlights a significant gap between the value Americans place on democracy and their perception of its functioning within the U.S. While three-quarters believe a democratically elected government is crucial to the country's identity, only 21% see democracy as the best form of government, and 53% think it's working poorly.

Violence and Democracy Impact Tracker: March 2024 Update : The most recent update from this joint initiative from Protect Democracy and SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University evaluates political violence's effect on U.S. democracy, categorizing impact levels from well-functioning democracy to non-democratic systems - the U.S. evaluation levels remained constant with previous reports. Expert reports highlight significant concerns about threats to public officials, institutional breakdowns, authoritarianism, and electoral process violence.

Public Support for Democratic Values Amid Challenges

Uncommon and nonpartisan: Antidemocratic attitudes in the American public ( Penn Today on the article ): This research is from the cross-institution team of Derek E. Holliday, Shanto Iyengar, Yphtach Lelkes, and Sean J. Westwood. They find that despite the recent undermining of democratic norms by prominent Republican officials, the American public largely opposes such violations, showing bipartisan support for democracy. It suggests the main threat to American democracy stems from elite actions, not widespread public support for antidemocratic behaviors. The findings highlight a disconnect between the behaviors of Republican elites and the democratic values of their constituents.

Democracy Winning and Losing at the Ballot : The 2024 V-Dem Democracy Report reveals ongoing autocratization in 42 countries, impacting 35% of the global population, with democracy declining to levels last observed in 1985. Conversely, democratization is noted in 18 countries, representing 5% of the population.

1 in 5 Americans think violence may solve U.S. divisions : The PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll reveals 1 in 5 U.S. adults believe violence may be needed to correct the country's course. However, it also reveals quite a bit of common ground on policy and social issues among Americans across party identification.

Roughly 3 in 10 say neither Biden, Trump would be good president : Gallup poll shows that American voters face a choice between two candidates they hold in low regard -- they give Biden and Trump weak personal favorability ratings, do not think a series of positive qualities applies to either man, and three in 10 U.S. adults say neither would make a good president.

These themes collectively portray the nuanced state of democracy in the U.S. While we face significant challenges, including polarization, threats to democratic norms, and disparities in participation, there is also a strong undercurrent of support for democratic values and engagement in democratic processes. These insights give us hope in a pathway forward that involves inclusive, bipartisan efforts to address the challenges and leverage opportunities to strengthen democratic governance.

Podcasts

Bridge Alliance (Collage) March 28th: Shifting Ground: Influence of race and faith on social engagement
Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) March 28th: 2024 Election Politics: How Divided Are We Really? Kate Carney and John Geer
Greater Good Science Center (The Science of Happiness) March 28th: How to Talk With People You Disagree With
The Democracy Group (The Politics Guys) April 3rd: Parliamentary America: The Least Radical Means of Radically Repairing Our Broken Democracy

Citizen Connect Featured Events

State Business Executives (April 9th @ 1:00 pm EDT) Youth Apprenticeship Kickoff
Essential Partners (April 10th @ 3:00 pm EDT) An Essential Partners Dialogue Experience
Interfaith America (April 11th @ 2:00 pm CDT) Faith in Elections Playbook: Inspiring Trust Zoom
Network for Responsible Public Policy (April 11th @ 7:30 pm EDT) Returning to Philadelphia: Amending the Constitution for the Twenty-First Century

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Jonah Goldberg, March 28th: Why Trump's running mate is less likely to be Marco Rubio than Marjorie Taylor Greene
Kevin Frazier, March 29th: Democracy and information ecosystem are inextricably linked
Dave Anderson, March 29th: Two aspects of our nation's original self-contradiction
Seth David Radwell, April 2nd: The misguided woke mind
Scott Klug, March 26th: The rise of the independent voter

Weaving the Threads of a Multiracial Democracy

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 13:15:18 GMT

The challenge and the imperative for the pro-democracy movement to align with racial justice is evident.

This week's exploration, inspired by Maria Stephan's compelling " Can Multiracial Democracy Survive? " from The Horizons Project, focuses on one of our most vital challenges. The article highlights the intertwined paths of racial justice and democracy advocates, stressing the necessity of a unified front to face today's challenges. It is a call to action for an integrated strategy that doesn't shy away from the tough conversations about racism while strengthening democratic values, and emphasizes the indispensable role of faith organizations in those tasks. Stephan’s piece, along with the diverse narratives from our member resources, demonstrates the obstacles and opportunities in nurturing a multiracial democracy grounded in diversity, equity, and collective impact.

The debate on historical monuments, featured by Divided We Fall , forces us to confront which values we choose to celebrate and the narratives we decide to honor. Through contrasting perspectives on the removal of controversial monuments, Esther Wickham and Sean Fischer engage in a critical dialogue about our collective memory and the potential for education and reconciliation in how we address our history. Both perspectives highlight that these monuments and the stories they tell are inseparable from our struggle to reconcile with our past while charting a path forward that reflects a more inclusive narrative.

The shifting demographics within the political landscape, specifically the loss of non-white voters by Democrats highlighted by the American Values Coalition , also highlight the need for parties to engage with and understand the diverse communities that form the mosaic of American society. Their article suggests that differences in religiosity within the Democratic coalition, which includes a significant number of areligious and religiously diverse voters, may contribute to these changes, underscoring the complex interplay between race, religion, and political alignment. This acknowledgment again ties back to Maria Stephan's reminder that faith-based efforts to combat racism and strengthen democracy have enormous potential to "instill hope and rejuvenate religious imagination for drawing us closer to the Beloved Community.

The contentious debate on immigration policies in Texas illuminates the friction between state actions and federal oversight and integrates the subject into broader national identity and belonging discussions. Immigration is deeply intertwined with our nation's ongoing dialogue about who gets to participate in our democracy and on what terms. This discussion intersects with the vital challenge of misinformation, particularly the myth of noncitizen voting. This myth, rooted in historical misconceptions , highlights the crucial role of an informed and engaged citizenry in upholding the integrity of our democracy.

Lastly, the "How Do We Fix It?" podcast on DEI initiatives challenges us to consider the depth of our commitment to diversity. It invites a reflection on whether our actions foster understanding and cohesion or merely pay lip service to diversity, equity, and inclusion ideals.

As we interlace these varied narratives, the breadth of the challenge and the imperative for the pro-democracy movement to align with racial justice becomes more evident. Our newsletter only scratches the surface of a multifaceted conversation that demands our collective attention, courage, and determination. We cannot address every aspect of this challenge. Still, we can actively seek areas for alignment between the pro-democracy and racial justice movements, driven by the belief that a vibrant, inclusive democracy is not just possible but crucial for our shared future.

Podcasts

Ballotpedia (On The Ballot) March 21st: Chaz Nuttycombe on forecasting this Fall's battleground races
McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) March 25th: Cassidy Hutchison on what comes after January 6
The Democracy Group (Lethal Weapons) March 25th: Lethal Weapons
DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?) March 22nd: Diversity Is Great. DEI Isn't.
Veterans for All Voters (Vet Our Democracy) March 19th: Election reform: systemic changes to improve how we choose our leaders

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Crossing Party Lines (March 31st @ 5:00 pm PDT) Conversation: Religious Freedom
Living Room Conversations (April 3rd @ 7:00 p.m. MDT ) Civic Renewal Conversation
American Promise (April 3rd @ 8:00 pm EDT) Introduction to Money in Politics
USC Center for the Political Future (April 4th @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm PDT) Climate Forward Conference 2024
Unify Challenge (April 9th @ 2:00 pm EDT) Unify Challenge

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Michael Waldman, March 21st: Mass purges are the new voter suppression
Rich Harwood, March 21st: Enough political rallies. It’s time for a civic rally.
Amy McIsaac, March 22nd: Here are the political terms Americans like
Drew Pensore & David Daley, March 19th: How a new way of electing the House can change our politics
David Meyers, March 25th: Democrats take another crack at federal election reform

Members In The News

Election Reformers Network (The Denver Post) March 25th: Colorado's Jena Griswold faces criticism for anti-Trump advocacy
American Promise (Newsweek) March 20th: Foreign Entities Are Influencing Our Elections. We Can Stop Them
RepresentUs (Daily Mail) March 17th: Should Congress be allowed to play the stock market? Campaign to ban lawmakers from trading heats up
Bipartisan Policy Center (NPR) March 13th: Conservatives are warning about noncitizens voting. It's a myth with a long history

The 2024 Primaries are a Call to Reengage and Reform

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 03:56:57 GMT

In Illinois, Tuesday was election day.

To say we had a disappointing turnout would be an understatement: a mere 20.2% of eligible voters exercised their right to vote , a significant decline from 37.8% in 2020 and an even more dramatic drop from 53.5% in 2016. Amidst this decline, there was also a striking increase in nonpartisan ballots from just 77 in 2016 to almost 6,000 in the current election. These changes raised a question: Is the low turnout a response to an uncompetitive presidential primary or a broader disengagement from traditional party politics?

Elena Panyard , a voter who chose a nonpartisan ballot for the first time, encapsulates a growing sentiment: "We're cornered into choosing less-than-ideal candidates under the guise of fearing the 'other side.' We deserve better, and until we achieve that, I'm stepping back."

Reporting on the low turnout, the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board offers a blunt perspective: Choosing not to vote is tantamount to relinquishing your decision-making power to others. With referendums passing in primary elections 83% of the time, the decisions of a few impact the lives of many , shaping critical issues such as tax levies, park districts, and more. At a time when the cost of living is a paramount concern, it's alarming that only about 20% of Illinois residents are participating in these pivotal decisions.

The Sun-Times editorial board also endorses a familiar solution, offering that the path to revitalizing Illinois' political landscape may lie in ranked-choice voting. They highlighted BAEF partners FairVote and Better Elections for Illinois in their endorsement of ranked-choice voting as a solution to boost Illinois engagement and turnout and reduce partisanship and negative campaigning. We also know that ranked-choice voting increases representation among women and candidates of color, and that multi-winner districts and cumulative voting worked successfully here for years before Illinois moved to a winner-take-all system.

As we confront the political challenges of 2024, it's evident that a disconnect exists between our desires for change and the actions we're willing to take to achieve it. I've often talked about how holding multiple truths simultaneously is essential - and we must do just that to bridge this gap.

It is valid that we Illinoisans feel collective disillusionment about the fact that 9 out of 10 judicial and state legislative primaries in Illinois were uncontested - and that Illinois' history of partisan judicial elections has too often sidelined the most qualified candidates, with unprecedented campaign expenditures being increasingly influenced by outside special interests . However, this does not absolve us of our collective duty to engage in our electoral process. It's also true that we must push through the disillusionment and collectively strive for improved voting systems, equitable districts, responsible campaign financing, and the representation we truly deserve.

Podcasts

Ballotpedia (On The Ballot) March 14th: Zuck Bucks' and the debate over private funding of elections
Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) March 14th: Depolarizing America: Ending Toxic Polarization. Peter Coleman
The Democracy Group (The Great Battlefield) March 20th: The Lie Detective: In Search of a Playbook for Winning Elections, Sasha Issenberg
The Village Square (Village SquareCast) March 14th: God Squad: Everyone is Canceled!

Citizen Connect Featured Events

American Future (March 22nd @ 1 pm EDT) Community Gathering
MWEG (March 23rd @ 9 am MDT) 7th Annual MWEG Spring Conference – Rise Up, Rise Above
The Village Square (March 26th @ 7:00 pm EDT) The Soul of Civility with Alexandra Hudson
Crossing Party Lines (March 28th @ 5:00 pm PDT) Conversation: Advocacy

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Daniella Ballou-Aares, John Pleasants & Peter Brack, March 15th: American business needs a strong democracy, not political retribution
Kevin Frazier, March 15th: The U.S. is at its best when it learns from its mistakes
Sam Daley-Harris, March 18th: When it comes to political news, I can’t get no satisfaction
F. Willis Johnson, March 18th: The uncommitted ballot: Voting as a form of civil protest
Rochelle Sennet, March 18th: Can they play Bach? Why bias in classical music must be dismantled.

Members In The News

McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Pennsylvania Capital-Star) March 8th: Report classifies 87 Pennsylvania state lawmakers as 'election deniers'
Unite America (Axios) March 12th: Colorado ballot measure wants "open primaries" and ranked-choice voting
Civic Learning Week (CNN) March 12th: Justices Barrett and Sotomayor urge Americans to tone down political rhetoric despite charged atmosphere
Veterans for All Voters (The Oklahoman) March 17th: Ranked choice voting ban would be a slap in the face to Oklahoma military members
FairVote (Chicago Sun-Times) March 21st: Here's how to start making the Illinois primary a bigger draw.

Making Moves - The Building Civic Bridges Act

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 04:08:02 GMT

We're excited to announce that the BCBA is slated for reintroduction in Congress this week.

Since last summer, the Bridge Alliance Education Fund and Resolutionaries have joined forces to champion the Building Civic Bridges Act (BCBA) , and your support has been invaluable. We're excited to announce that the BCBA is slated for reintroduction in Congress this week. This is an exciting next step in our collective journey toward fostering a more unified and healthy nation.

The Urgency of Now

The State of the Union address was one example highlighting the stark reality of toxic polarization manifesting as hyper-polarization. It was an exercise in governance that instead had the air of a UFC match. It's against that backdrop that the BCBA serves as a hopeful tool designed to confront these issues directly. Spearheaded by a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers, the BCBA embodies our nation's collective acknowledgment that our nation's strength lies in unity, not division.

What is the Building Civic Bridges Act?

At its core, the BCBA represents a bold step forward in our nation's quest for healing. By proposing the creation of an Office of Civic Bridgebuilding within AmeriCorps, this groundbreaking legislation seeks to:

Empower Communities: Through a dedicated grant program, the BCBA aims to bolster civic bridge-building efforts nationwide, supporting a diverse array of organizations committed to mending the fabric of our society.
Train for Transformation: By equipping AmeriCorps members with the tools for civic bridge-building, we're nurturing a new generation of change-makers poised to lead our communities toward greater understanding and cooperation.
Research for Progress: The BCBA recognizes the importance of informed action, advocating for research into civic engagement and social cohesion to illuminate our path forward.
Partner for Activation: By fostering a national dialogue on civic bridge-building, the BCBA positions itself as a pivotal force in the movement toward a more united America, offering resources and support to those working on the front lines of this vital cause.

Why It Matters

The BCBA transcends legislation; it is a declaration of our unwavering dedication to the ideals of democracy. It acknowledges the need for dialogue, empathy, and understanding across all divides. In line with the recommendations of the bipartisan Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, the BCBA is a call for expanding civic bridge-building as a means to address the toxic polarization that threatens our social cohesion. The commission’s Our Common Purpose report pointed out that Congress already provides funding to strengthen democracies abroad through the National Endowment for Democracy. Why not fund democracy at home?

As Senator Chris Coons insightfully remarked in September 2023, "Democracy is a verb. It has to be an active verb. And it only remains a democracy if we do it together." This sentiment captures the spirit of the BCBA and mirrors our core mission at the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

Join Us in Advocacy

The introduction of the BCBA is a significant milestone, but our work is far from over. We invite you to join us in this critical phase of advocacy. Reach out to your representatives , share the BCBA's message across your social media platforms, or engage in the public discourse by highlighting the significance of civic bridge-building in your community's media outlets. Each action brings us closer to ensuring that democracy remains a vibrant, active verb that unites us all.

Podcasts

Andrew Yang (Forward) March 11th: The American Exchange Project
Ballotpedia (On The Ballot) March 7th: Which governor's races are the most competitive this year?
DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?) March 8th: Politics: Majority In The Middle. Shannon Watson
The McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) March 11th: How discontent destabilizes democracy
Young Voices (Moving Forward) March 12th: Moving Forward with Young Voices

Citizen Connect Featured Events

USC Center for the Political Future (March 15th @ 10:00 am PDT) What Should We Say? Research Findings on Civic Language
Braver Angels (March 16th @ 11 am EDT) Red/Blue Workshop – Sessions 1 & 2 - Citizen Connect
American Promise (March 19th @ 5 pm EDT) The Leadership Series: Conversation with Colin Woodard
Living Room Conversations (March 19th @ 12:00 pm PDT) Women in Society Special Conversations

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Alicia Tang & Jonah Elkowitz, March 7th: Supreme Court wrestles with meaning of 'trigger' in bump stocks case
Madelyn Sanfilippo, March 7th: Dealing with false facts: How to correct online misinformation
Kevin Frazier, March 8th: Seeking moderation through checks and balances
David L. Nevins, March 8th: Taylor Swift's fan base is increasing in swing states
Kelsey Baker, March 11th: Latino voters are swinging back toward Trump and the Republican Party

Members In The News

Mormon Women for Ethical Government (The Salt Lake Tribune) March 13th: Opinion: It’s time to give it up Utah’s caucus-convention system
Open Primaries & Unite America (U.S. News and World Report) March 4th: Why Super Tuesday Isn’t So Super for More Than 6 Million Independent Voters
RepresentUs (Newsweek) March 12th: Republicans Sell Boeing Stock as Crisis Deepens
RepresentWomen (Ms.) March 7th: The Ms. Q&A With Mary Robinson, Ireland's First-Ever Woman President
The Horizons Project (KKFI) March 5th: How you can more effectively advance multi-racial democracy

Civic Learning - The Cornerstone of Our Democracy

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 18:35:44 GMT

Research into Americans’ assumptions about democracy highlights the need for ongoing education

In another pivotal decision, The Supreme Court decided yesterday to take up former president Donald Trump’s claim of immunity from prosecution for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election. This development, arriving as we edge closer to the 2024 presidential election, fuels further delays and injects a new level of uncertainty, casting a shadow over the electoral landscape. It’s increasingly perceived as a strategic maneuver by Trump to entangle legal proceedings with the electoral timeline, complicating the discourse and deepening the national polarization ahead of a critical election. The scenario is one glimpse into the broader threat of Trump’s 2024 candidacy.

On Monday, Just Security published The American Autocracy Threat Tracker , a new public resource that meticulously catalogs the plans, promises, and propositions of Donald Trump and his circle. The tracker amalgamates data from media outlets, resources such as Protect Democracy’s The Authoritarian Playbook , and direct information from Project 2025 by the Heritage Foundation. Noteworthy is its inclusion of data from Trump’s campaign website and Truth Social - as well as an always-updating searchable data set of all of Trump’s Truth Social posts.

This tracker is more than a repository; it’s a call for critical engagement, starting with its initial chapters that paint a vision of the beginning of Trump’s potential second term, marked by authoritarian pledges to serve as a ‘ dictator on day one ’ to enforce his plans to “close the borders” and “drill, drill, drill.” It equips citizens and organizations with a unified framework for dissecting the realities of the Republican frontrunner’s campaign narratives, fostering a necessary national dialogue.

Amidst this backdrop, a January 2024 survey conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and YouGov recently published a startling finding: a significant portion of respondents showed a perplexing openness to Trump’s authoritarian undertones. This result contrasted sharply with a broader aversion to dictatorship revealed in a separate Economist and YouGov poll from December 2023 , potentially indicating a nuanced, though troubling, interpretation of “temporary autocracy.” Such findings continually underscore an alarming dissonance in public sentiment towards the foundational principles of American democracy.

The discourse on democracy’s relevance in contemporary America is reaching an inflection point. Recent polls, including a longitudinal survey by The Democracy Fund, indicate a waning commitment to democratic norms among Americans, a sentiment further corroborated by Danielle Allen’s insights published last week in The Washington Post . Allen’s analysis reveals a generational divergence in the valuation of democracy, posing a stark challenge: the sustainability of democracy hinges on the people’s desire for it.

In my tenure with the Bridge Alliance Education Fund, my underlying quest has been to identify a unifying thread that could weave together the diverse strands of the healthy democracy ecosystem. Our mission is to enhance and amplify the work of those working in civic education, engagement, electoral reform, social cohesion, and trusted information. It is intuitive that these spheres of practice enhance one another and are all vital to a healthy society and the institutions that serve it. However, the collective insight and power of the ecosystem can only coalesce into a movement with at least one specific, shared goal. We must continue focusing on a wide range of work areas to repair our country's social and political infrastructure. Still, it's also essential that we consider our work aligned with the goal of a constitutional democracy supermajority. That means a supermajority of citizens agreeing, as Allen puts it, on “the basic rules of the game.” Inside the bounds of those rules we will disagree, but hopefully we can #disagreebetter within the stability of those boundaries.

The path forward demands more than passive endorsement; it calls for active defense and promotion of core democratic values, including “constitutionalism, the rule of law, inclusivity, nonviolence, and respect for the electoral process” . It is not just possible but imperative for us to rise to this challenge, fostering a culture of dialogue and advocacy that strengthens, rather than erodes, the bedrock of our democratic republic.

Featured Content

AllSides (Article) February 23rd: Americans' Hidden Common Ground on Energy Policy

American Values Coalition (Blog) February 22nd: Covid Hucksters Made a Killing

BillTrack50 (Blog) February 15th: IssueVoter Bill of the Month (February 2024): Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act

Civity (Blog) February 7th: Climate Change Conversations & Collaborations

Divided We Fall (Article) February 21st: Finding a Bipartisan Balance on Campus

Election Reformers Network (Announcement) February 23rd: ERN and Civic Leader Partners Commend New Ethics Guidelines for Election Officials

Independent Voter News (Article) February 27th: LetUsVote: New Campaign Launches to End Discrimination Against Independent Voters

Issue One (Analysis) February 22nd: Nonprofit headed by former Gen. Michael Flynn spends large sums on Flynn family, promoting election-related lies, new documents show

Unite America (Report) February 26th: Nick Troiano on Morning Joe to discuss "The Primary Solution"

Podcasts

Civity (This is Civity) February 26th: Monica Guzman on the importance of curiosity to build relationships that bridge divides

Living Room Conversations (Respect. Relate. Connect. Podcast.) February 23rd: Traditionalism or Progressivism: What are AMERICAN Values?

New America, R Street Institute (Politics in Question) February 23rd: Is The House Broken?

The Democracy Group (Future Hindsight) February 28th: Patriotism vs. Extremism: Ken Harbaugh

Veterans for All Voters (Fluent Knowledge) February 14th: Systems Level Failure? Veterans for All Voters Takes on Polarizing Elections

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Rank the Vote (March 7th @ 8:00 pm EST) Rank the Vote’s Pitch Training

Living Room Conversations (March 8th @ 9:00 am PST) Women, Politics, and Peace

Unify America (March 13th @ 2:00 pm EDT) Unify Challenge

Fix Democracy First (March 13th @ 5:00 pm PST) Democracy Happy Hour

The News Literacy Project (March 14th @ 12 pm CDT) Election 2024: Are you informed or influenced?

Mediators Beyond Borders International (March 14th @ 12 pm EDT) Listening: Emergent Strategy for Transforming Conflict

Featured Fulcrum Articles

David L. Nevins, February 29th: What happened to the worst gerrymandered districts?

James McHugh, February 29th: Alabama, religious freedom and frozen embryos

F. Willis Johnson, March 1st: Women’s History Month: An observance with significance

Steven Rosenfeld, March 4th: 20 years of data shows no link between mailed ballots and illegal voting

Nicole Norman, March 6th: Principles First offers center-right alternative to CPAC

Members In The News

Issue One (The Hill) February 14th: Gaps in AI robocall ban boost pressure on Congress, election officials

Mormon Women for Ethical Government (Deseret News) February 20th: What the heck is a presidential preference poll? And other questions, answered

ActiVote (Android Headlines) March 4th: Vote smart: SmartNews shares tech tips for Super Tuesday and beyond

American Values Coalition (Christianity Today) March 6th: Evangelical Trump Supporters and Critics on Repeat for 2024

Convergence (NPR) March 6th: Should the government do more to help children? This bipartisan group thinks so

Democracy, Trump, and a Call for a Common Goal

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 18:28:32 GMT

Democracy’s survival depends on our willingness to act

Featured Content

AllSides (Article) February 23rd: Americans' Hidden Common Ground on Energy Policy

American Values Coalition (Blog) February 22nd: Covid Hucksters Made a Killing

BillTrack50 (Blog) February 15th: IssueVoter Bill of the Month (February 2024): Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act

Civity (Blog) February 7th: Climate Change Conversations & Collaborations

Divided We Fall (Article) February 21st: Finding a Bipartisan Balance on Campus

Election Reformers Network (Announcement) February 23rd: ERN and Civic Leader Partners Commend New Ethics Guidelines for Election Officials

Independent Voter News (Article) February 27th: LetUsVote: New Campaign Launches to End Discrimination Against Independent Voters

Issue One (Analysis) February 22nd: Nonprofit headed by former Gen. Michael Flynn spends large sums on Flynn family, promoting election-related lies, new documents show

Unite America (Report) February 26th: Nick Troiano on Morning Joe to discuss "The Primary Solution"

Podcasts

Civity (This is Civity) February 26th: Monica Guzman on the importance of curiosity to build relationships that bridge divides

Living Room Conversations (Respect. Relate. Connect. Podcast.) February 23rd: Traditionalism or Progressivism: What are AMERICAN Values?

New America, R Street Institute (Politics in Question) February 23rd: Is The House Broken?

The Democracy Group (Future Hindsight) February 28th: Patriotism vs. Extremism: Ken Harbaugh

Veterans for All Voters (Fluent Knowledge) February 14th: Systems Level Failure? Veterans for All Voters Takes on Polarizing Elections

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Crossing Party Lines (March 3rd @ 2:00 pm PST) The Global Stage: What role should we play?

Bipartisan Policy Center (March 4th @ 1:00 pm EST) What Will It Take to Build a Competent, Stable Child Care Workforce?

Institute for Global Leadership (March 4th @ 7:00 pm EST) America’s Soul Community

Fix Democracy First (March 6th @ 5:99 pm PST) Democracy Happy Hour - Citizen Connect

Living Room Conversations (March 8th @ 9:00 am PST) Women, Politics, and Peace

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Dave Anderson, February 27th: No room for bipartisanship in an America split into three parts

Rich Harwood, February 27th: One of Florida's poorest counties shows America the way forward

Uriel Epshtein, February 27th: Alexei Navalny's bravery inspires us to fight for democracy

Nicole Norman, February 26th: Nearly three-quarters of South Carolina election officials have quit

Thomas Kelly, February 23rd: Social studies needs to be a first-class subject

Members In The News

Civic Genius (Corporette) February 15th: How Much Should Political Views Affect Friendships and Dating?

Common Ground Committee (WRAL) February 23rd: Contentious GOP primary battle emerges in NC congressional toss-up district

Issue One (Portland Press Herald) February 20th: There is no place for violence in American politics

RepresentUs (The Washington Post) February 22nd: Court battle reveals effort to undermine No Labels presidential bid

RepresentWomen (Ms. Magazine) February 27th: The Barriers Black Women Face While Running for Public Office

Beyond Binaries: Strengthening Democracy Through Nuanced Understanding

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 00:44:03 GMT

Multiple things can be true at once.

Last week, the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers convened a summit in Denver. It was a gathering marked by a sense of camaraderie among peers, juxtaposed with an acute awareness of the challenges posed by the upcoming November election. The stakes for our field, the nation, and the global community have never felt higher. Yet, as we departed from the summit, I felt ready to face whatever complexities 2024 might hold.

Then, while waiting for my plane to take off on Friday, news that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's death reached me. Rather than dwell on the geopolitical consequences, my thoughts turned to the inevitable polarized reactions I predicted to see on mainstream and social media. True to form, platforms quickly became battlegrounds for narratives, casting Navalny's struggle within the binaries of U.S. politics . This dichotomy overlooks the complex reality of Navalny's legacy, both as a critic of corruption and as a figure with contentious views. The rapid oversimplification of Navalny's life and work into binary political narratives challenges us to acknowledge that multiple truths can coexist.

The Navalny reporting underscores a broader issue in our media landscape, exemplified starkly by the divisive coverage and polarizing discourse surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine.

This week, AllSides evaluated coverage of a study published on February 12th analyzing 99 million individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 worldwide. The study's findings were often relayed as a reduction of complete information into partisan talking points. The essential details , such as the comparative risks of health issues from the vaccine versus the virus itself, are lost in a sea of polarized content, demonstrating the difficulty in achieving a balanced understanding in today's media environment.

As we move towards 2024, a significant danger to our democratic processes lies not in specific parties or ideologies but in a declining trend in information literacy. The oversimplification of complex issues for the sake of engagement and clicks erodes our collective capacity for informed discourse. This environment enables conflict profiteers to muddy the waters of truth, making it challenging for the public to discern fact from fiction.

Hannah Arendt famously wrote in her essay, “Truth and Politics,” that the essence of truth-telling is lost when we lack a non-political standpoint from which to interpret the world. Historically, the press , scientists, artists, judges, and historians have provided perspectives that anchored a common reality. Today, as communities across the U.S. grapple with crises that erode common understanding, it becomes evident that embracing the complexity of truths is vital for preventing division and fostering unity.

American Values Coalition highlighted one of those communities, East Palestine, Ohio , which has been facing a loss of community, as well as independent and non-politicized facts, surrounding the train derailment that occurred there last year. Reading their story, it again stands out to me that in East Palestine, multiple things can be true at once, and their community acknowledging that can help prevent them from dividing against each other into false binary narratives that cannot possibly capture all that has happened to their community.

As members of the Bridge Alliance and advocates for healthy self-governance, we must champion the cause of nuanced understanding and resist the allure of oversimplification. We can counteract the forces that seek to divide us, building a more informed and resilient democracy and a shared commitment to the common good.

Featured Content

ActiVote (Blog) February 17th: Trump vs Haley Republican Primary

AllSides (Headline Roundup) February 20th: COVID-19 Vaccine Linked to Health Disorders in Largest Study Yet

American Values Coalition (Blog) February 9th: Can Democracy Save Us from Voters?

Civity (Blog) February 7th: Walking the Civity Walk

Independent Voter News (Article) February 15th: March 5 is Super Tuesday... And No One Cares

Issue One (Press Release) February 7th: Issue One’s NCEI co-chairs call on Congress for renewed investments in U.S. elections ahead of November

Unite America (Report) February 13th: 23.5M Independent Voters Are Disenfranchised in 2024 Primaries

RepresentWomen (Report) February 16th: The Barriers Black Women Face While Running for Public Office

Renew Democracy Initiative (Blog) February 16th: Garry Kasparov: The Real Reason Putin Killed Navalny

Veterans for All Voters (Video) February 6th: Leadership After Hours: Ep44: Are the two political parties gaslighting us?

Podcasts

Ballotpedia (On the Ballot) February 15th: Chevron Deference, Explained

Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) February 15th: Is Everything We're Told About Independent Voters Wrong? Jackie Salit and John Opdycke

DaviesMedia (How Do We Fix It?) February 9th: Changing Journalism: Boosting Trust in the News Media

McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) February 12th: How to combat political extremism with Cynthia Miller-Idriss

The Village Square (Village SquareCast) February 16th: The Big Sort with Bill Bishop

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Living Room Conversations (February 27th @ 11:00 a.m. PST) Connecting Your Library Community Through Conversation

92NY Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact (February 28th @ 7:00 pm EST) Backsliding Democracies and Women’s Rights Around the World, Part 2

Fix Democracy First (February 28th @ 5:00 pm PST) Democracy Happy Hour

News Literacy Project (February 29th @ 12 noon CST) Election 2024: Are you informed or influenced?

The Village Square (February 29th) Dr. Jonathan Haidt: After Babel

Featured Fulcrum Articles

James-Christian B. Blockwood, February 7th: Our divided nation will fall unless we return to American pragmatism

John Opdycke , February 7th: Brash Tacks: People power, not palace politics

Brian Clancy , February 14th: George Washington knew how to govern but are we willing to listen?

Tyler Fisher and Carlo Macomber , February 14th: 27 million voters are shut out of primary elections

David L. Nevins, February 15th: Luke Combs, politics and finding common ground through music

Members In The News

Issue One (The Hill) February 19th: A unique set of challenges could cause turmoil in 2024 — but here’s why we can trust the vote

Mormon Women for Ethical Government (Deseret News) February 15th: You can love Israel and still hold its government accountable

RepresentUs (Newsweek) February 20th: Two Senators Bought Bonds in States They Represent: 'Conflict of Interest'

Unite America (Colorado Newsline) February 19th: Open primaries effort attracts big contributions from South Dakotans and Colorado group

Veterans for All Voters (The Boston Sun) February 16th: Coalition Builds Momentum for Ranked Choice Voting in Boston

The Power of Interdependence in the Healthy Democracy Ecosystem

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 19:51:02 GMT

The capacity for change is rooted in the belief in its possibility.

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: N o 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

Fortifying Our Democracy Against Authoritarian Threats

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 18:55:22 GMT

Vital Work from the Pro-Democracy Ecosystem

Recently, the American Values Coalition and The Horizons Project drew our attention to an important report published by Protect Democracy called “ The Authoritarian Playbook for 2025 ”. Although the initial impression was grim, as I delved further into this report and explored the wealth of resources generated by our community, I was struck by the powerful strategies it offered to counter authoritarian threats . Today, I’m excited to share how we, as a community, are applying some of these strategies.

Uniting Early: The Power of Pro-Democracy Coalitions

The Bridge Alliance stands as a testament to the strength found in unity. Our work alongside numerous vibrant pro-democracy coalitions is ongoing and resonant. The collaborative venture in mapping America’s Healthy Democracy Ecosystem is a significant stride in understanding how over 10,000 organizations can interlink, bolstering each other’s efforts. The Protect Democracy report underscores the critical need for time and commitment to build these alliances – a foundation many have nurtured for years.

The diversity of our coalitions will be critical to engaging citizens to respond to the threats of 2024. More Perfect just released a poll on Americans’ Views on Protecting and Improving Our Democracy. Among other indicators, they revealed an empowerment gap: While a large majority say it is important for individuals like themselves to get involved and take action to improve our democracy, less than half believe that there is a lot or a fair amount that they personally can do. One of the core beliefs of our initiative, Citizen Connect , holds that citizens are the core of our democracy, and giving each person opportunities to engage civically in the way that fits their ability and desire is the key to increasing that participation and action. Again, this foundation has been built, and now we have an opportunity to scale up our outreach and offerings as a community to help close that empowerment gap.

Combatting Anti-Democratic Narratives

As public communicators, it is our duty to explain the significance of the battle for democracy and its stakes. There are wonderful examples of efforts of this type of communication from both our bridging coalitions and our reform coalitions in the national media this week. Bridging movement leader Kristin Hansen published a beautiful piece in USA Today that highlights the importance of recognizing each other as the fabric of our democracy. Campaign watchdogs are collectively demanding election transparency, and citizen advocates are speaking out independently. The Fulcrum continues to amplify stories from diverse aspects of the ecosystem and works to ensure these stories are carried further into numerous publications throughout the country.

Championing Bipartisan Guardians of Democracy

Issue One’s ongoing “ Faces of Democracy ” series profiles individuals who go beyond partisan boundaries to uphold democratic foundations. A recent highlight is Wesley Wilcox , a Florida Republican and an expert in election technology. Wilcox's roles include being a past president of the Florida Supervisors of Elections Association, a board member of the National Association of Election Officials, and chair of the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center. The series recognizes and acknowledges the crucial role played by over 10,000 officials managing U.S. elections and reinforces the importance of supporting these champions of democracy.

Eyes on the Horizon: Securing 2026 and Beyond While Building Tomorrow’s Democracy

The report concludes by emphasizing that while the immediate urgency of 2024 is important, it should not overshadow the long-term vision of fostering a resilient and inclusive democracy. This vision encompasses strengthening our checks and balances , reforming electoral systems and political parties for greater representation and resilience against authoritarianism, empowering historically marginalized voices , bridging divides , and enhancing civic engagement . Each week, I am energized by witnessing that these areas are not only being supported by organizations within our community in the abstract - the work is ongoing in concrete ways and increasingly collaboratively.

Let's continue to build on this momentum and strive for a future where democracy not only survives but thrives for generations to come. Together, we're not just responding to today's challenges; we're shaping tomorrow's triumphs.

Featured Content

AllSides (Blog) January 29th: When Immigration Becomes the Most Important Issue in America

American Promise (Newsletter) January 25th: Outside spending on 2024 elections tops $318 million

American Values Coalition (Blog) January 25th: How We Could Lose Our Democracy

BillTrack50 (Blog) January 12th: The 2024 National Defense Authorization Ac t

Common Ground Committee (Article) January 25th: The Importance of Voting in Primaries: Do This One Thing

Horizons Project (Newsletter) January 29th: THE VISTA: January 2024

Independent Voter (Poll) January 23rd: La. Lawmakers Dismantle Nonpartisan Elections Supported by Two-Thirds of Voters

Issue One (Article) January 17th: Meet the Faces of Democracy: Wesley Wilcox

More Perfect (Poll) January 18th: Americans’ Views on Protecting and Improving Our Democracy

Podcasts

Ballotpedia (On the Ballot) January 25th: What's next in the race for the White House?

Civity (This is Civity) January 29th: New York Times Columnist David Brooks on How to Know a Person

DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?) January 26th: The Virtues of a Liberal Education. Roosevelt Montás

NICD (Listen to Disrupt Yourself) January 25th: Meeting Folks Halfway Is A Virtue, Not A Weakness

USC Center for the Political Future (The Bully Pulpit) January 20th: Election 2024 Breakdown with CPF Fellows

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Issue One (February 2nd @ 12 pm CST) Down the Rabbit Hole: How Social Media is Designed to Radicalize its Users

USC Center for the Political Future (February 5th @ 12 pm PST) Levan Book Chat: Righting the American Dream

The News Literacy Project (February 6th @ 4:00 pm EST) Boost your news IQ: Is it news, opinion or advertising?

Braver Angels (February 6th @ 7:00 pm CST) After COVID, Can We Have Accountability Without Retribution?

Brookings Institution (February 7th @ 2:30 pm SET) Assessing the impact of generative AI and other online threats in a historic election year

Featured Fulcrum Articles

David Meyers , January 31st: U.S. fails to improve its standing in fight against corruption

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

James C. Nelson, January 30th: Make a choice: majoritarian democracy or minority tyranny?

Beau Breslin, January 30th: A Republic, if we can keep it

Steven Rosenfeld, January 25th: Scholars unmask Trump election lawyers' use of falsified evidence

Rich Logis, January 25th: Ask Rich: An ex-Trump supporter and MAGA activist answers your questions

Members In The News

American Promise, Business for America, Issue One, RepresentUs (The Hill) January 23rd: Watchdogs urge presidential candidates to disclose top campaign fundraisers

Civic Genius (Rochester Beacon) January 27th: Lessons from ending apartheid

Civic Health Project (USA Today) January 30th: Will the 2024 election rip America apart? Here's how we can hold it together.

Issue One (The Hill) January 29th: Social media companies are media companies. Congress should start treating them that way

The Village Square (Tallahassee Democrat) January 25th: Liz Joyner: Want to foster civility in Tallahassee? Join a club.

News: 2024 Democracy Awards for Lifetime Achievement

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 16:00:50 GMT

The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) today announced the winners of the 2024 Democracy Awards for Members of Congress in Lifetime Achievement.

The winners are Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC).

“While there are many Members of Congress demonstrating outstanding public service, these two stand out,” said Bradford Fitch, CEO and President of CMF. “Both of these Members of Congress have devoted their careers to improving the lives of their constituents and improving our nation as a whole. Senator Stabenow has served in Congress for 27 years and marks many “firsts” for women in Michigan politics and the United States Senate. Representative McHenry has served in the House of Representatives for almost 20 years. In addition to being a passionate advocate for his constituents in the 10 ^th District of North Carolina, he is credited with working in a bipartisan fashion as chair of the House Financial Services Committee.

Both recipients will be recognized at an in-person Democracy Awards ceremony in September 2024 in Washington, D.C. At the ceremony, CMF will also recognize Democracy Awards winners across four categories: Constituent Service, Innovation & Modernization, “Life in Congress” Workplace Environment, and Constituent Accountability & Accessibility.

The Founding Partner for the Democracy Awards is the Bridge Alliance, which provided a generous grant to launch the program. Bridge Alliance is a diverse coalition of more than 100 organizations committed to revitalizing democratic practice in America.

The Congressional Management Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit founded in 1977 dedicated to strengthening Congress and building trust in its work with and for the American people. CMF works to revitalize Congress as an institution; promotes best practices in congressional offices; and helps Congress and the people they represent engage in a constructive and inclusive dialogue toward a thriving American democracy.

Uniting for Democracy in 2024

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 06:21:06 GMT

I hope that 2024 is treating you well.

As we settle back into our weekly routine after the year-end break, I am excited to share the latest developments and insights from our vibrant community at the Bridge Alliance Education Fund. The beginning of 2024 has been a period of reflection and strategic planning, particularly with the upcoming election capturing our members' and partners' attention and efforts.

Our network is actively engaged in a variety of critical initiatives. Among these are the structural reforms where dedicated groups are not only advancing new campaigns but also safeguarding the significant achievements we have made. In addition, there's a unified call across our community for greater transparency in campaign financing among presidential candidates, alongside heightened awareness of the challenges faced by election workers. We're exploring the expectations Americans have from their political representatives, the persistent issues that will likely dominate the election discourse, and the influential role of A.I. and data in shaping the electoral process.

One of the highlights of our collective research efforts is the insightful work by The Horizons Project . Their video explainer for their " Pillars Project " eloquently details the roles played by various sectors - including faith-based organizations, businesses, unions & professional associations, and veterans/military groups - both in supporting authoritarian regimes and in bolstering pro-democracy movements, both in the U.S. and globally. This crucial knowledge guides democracy practitioners to engage these influential groups effectively during this pivotal period.

A common theme underlies all these diverse initiatives - the pressing need for Americans to bridge the divides that separate us and come together to uphold the values of our democratic republic.

In line with this, our Bridging Movement Alignment Council partners are leaning into the "Disagree Better Campaign." I highly recommend you attend next week's event titled " Difficult Conversations for the Sake of Democracy " to learn more about the campaign. This event, hosted by our partners at the National Civic League, will feature speakers from Listen First Project, Bridge USA, 92NY, and The Village Square. Together, they will delve into a timely and critical question: Are reasonable disagreements still possible in today's divisive political landscape?

Your engagement and support are crucial as we navigate these challenging yet promising times. I look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming event and continuing our journey toward a healthier and more robust democracy.

Featured Content

AllSides (Article) January 23rd: When the Republican Primary Campaign Takes a Detour

Ballotpedia (Blog) January 23rd: Initiative campaign to repeal ranked-choice voting in Alaska submits signatures

BillTrack50 (Article) January 9th: Review of 2023: How Well Did Congress Do?

Divided We Fall (Article) January 10th: Blue Waves and Red Lines: The Democratic Party's Immigration Conundrum

Horizons Project (Video) January 23rd: Understanding Pillars of Support

Interactivity Foundation (Article) January 18th: Just Imagine...A Thousand Words

Living Room Conversations (Guide) Trust in Elections Conversation Guide

NAFCM (Funding Opportunity) Closes February 19th: JAMS Mini-Grant 2024

Unite America (Statement) January 19th: Statement on Louisiana’s “taxpayer-funded power grab”

Veterans for All Voters (Newsletter) January 15th: Janurary 2024 Updates

Podcasts

Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) January 18th: What Americans Want from Politicians — And What They're Not Getting: Sean Westwood

DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?) January 12th: What Could Go Right? 2024 Predictions Show

Independent Voter Project (Politic Deli) January 16th: A.I. and Data: How They Will Shape the 2024 Election

McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) January 22nd: Tim Alberta on evangelicals and Republicans

The Village Square (Village SquareCast) January 18th: Rachel Brown: The Roots of Belonging & The Risks of Othering

Citizen Connect Featured Events

The News Literacy Project (January 26th @ 9 am EST) NewsLitCamp®: The importance of local news

USC Center for the Political Future (January 30th @ 9:30 AM PST) Warschaw Conference on Practical Politics

National Civic League (January 30th @ 1:00 pm EST) Difficult Conversations for the Sake of Democracy

92NY Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact (January 30th @ 7 pm EST) Backsliding Democracies and Women’s Rights in the U.S., Part 1

Bridge Entertainment Lab (January 31st @ 1 pm CST) Creating New American Stories of Us: The Transformative Promise of Documentary Storytelling

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Lauren Stiller Rikleen, January 5th: Universities cannot be bystanders in these troubled times

Charles Savenor, January 5th: Together we must confront the rise in hate crimes and uphold our inalienable rights

Mark A. Graber, January 8th: Why 14th Amendment bars Trump from office

Steve Corbin, January 10th: Taking stock of the political, economic and social fabric as we kick off 2024

Susan Minichiello, January 22nd: Misinformation isn’t just coming from your cranky uncle

Members In The News

Business For America (Fast Company) January 4th: What to expect from sustainability and social impact in 2024

Issue One (CNN) January 12th: Not MAGA enough: 2020 election skeptic quit his job after facing blowback from angry election deniers

American Promise, Business for America, Issue One, and RepresentUs (The Hill) January 23rd: Watchdogs urge presidential candidates to disclose top campaign fundraisers

Embracing 2024 with Unity and Hope

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 14:49:44 GMT

2023 is winding down, and it's evident that it has been a period of intense activity for everyone at the Bridge Alliance.

This time of year is notably hectic for our entire community, with organizations diligently implementing programs, strategizing for 2024, and managing funding initiatives. Similarly, individuals are concluding another year, which encompasses managing personal lives, family responsibilities, professional commitments, and active citizenship. The festive season, while a source of joy, often brings its own set of challenges. Many of us grapple with political and social divides, especially in gatherings with loved ones during the holidays. The pressures of creating the "perfect holiday" can exacerbate financial difficulties, and a pervasive sense of uncertainty, both personally and nationally, adds to the stress as we transition into 2024.

In these times of uncertainty, I am immensely comforted and inspired by our community of dedicated practitioners and actively engaged individuals. Whenever I feel overwhelmed by the changing of the calendar, I am heartened by the remarkable growth and resilience of our community. Our collective strength, fostered through mutual support and collaboration, positions us optimally to provide effective tools for people, regardless of where they are on their civic journey.

Our bridging movement has gained unprecedented depth and strength. The Listen First Coalition is poised to bring the collective message of bridging work to more people than ever before. The coalition of the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers is committed to sharing best practices and resources, setting us up for success in the upcoming year's campaigns. The TRUST Network continues to develop a robust warning and response system to counteract hate and political violence. Additionally, the CivXNow coalition is making significant strides in educating the next generation, preparing them to be proactive and informed participants in civic life.

With these systems and resources more solidly in place than ever, I am filled with hope for 2024, despite the prevailing national uncertainty. Our readiness to welcome people into our comprehensive and supportive ecosystem is a testament to our collective commitment to fostering a healthier, more inclusive democracy.

As we bid farewell to this year and welcome the new one, let's carry this spirit of hope and collaboration forward into 2024. See you there!

Featured Content

A More Perfect Union (Article) December 14th: Reflections on a Visit to Maricopa County

AllSides (Article) December 18th: When Democrats Change Their Minds on Immigration

American Promise (Article) December 17th: American Promise Sounds Alarm as Lawsuits Threaten Maine’s Safeguards Against Foreign Election Interference

Ballotpedia (Blog) December 19th: 2023 in review: state legislative activity on election administration

Divided We Fall (Article) December 20th: The Top 10 Bridge Building Books to Buy this Holiday Season

Interactivity Foundation (Article) December 14th: Just Imagine…Death over Slavery

Independent Voter Project (IVN) December 19th: Rep. Dean Phillips on How the DNC Turns on Members Who Want to Give Voters Choice

Issue One (Article) December 18th: Dangerous by Design - How Social Media Companies Are Hurting Our Kids, National Security, and Democracy — and What We Can Do About It

Mormon Women for Ethical Government (Blog) December 14th: Greenwashing Explained (and What You Can Do About It!)

Podcasts

Ballotpedia (On the Ballot) December 14th: RCV's long history and many different variations

Civity (This is Civity) December 18th: Writer and Civic Renaissance Founder Alexandra Hudson on “The Soul of Civility”

DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?) December 15th: The Origins of Today's Identity Politics - Yascha Mounk

McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) December 18th: Year in Review: Media, Mental Health, and Threats to Democracy

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Network for Responsible Public Policy (December 21st @ 7:30 pm EST) Ukraine Update IV

Citizen Discourse (December 28th @ 11:00 am CST) Conversation Collective

Citizen Assembly (December 29th @ 7 pm CST) Designing the Perfect Society (COH) – 1on1 discussion

Ideos Institute (January 5th) National Day of Dialogue

Fix Democracy First (January 10th @ 5:00 pm PST) Democracy Happy Hour

Featured Fulcrum Articles

David L. Nevins, December 21st: So this is Christmas. And what have you (we) done?

Kevin Johnson, December 20th: Citizens need a better understanding of 'election overtime' before next November

Elizabeth Doty, December 19th: Addressing the root causes of dysfunctional American politics with Business for America

Evan Charles Lewitus, December 18th: Ballot initiatives show value of policy polls for lawmakers

David Meyers, December 15th: Former members of Congress say threats of violence are on the rise

Advancing Democracy, Bridging Divides, and Navigating Global Conflicts

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 16:20:06 GMT

International conflicts also impact our domestic conversations and work.

As we approach the year’s end, our alliance’s work continues to grow in both scope and impact. This week, we're showcasing resources that reflect the richness and variety of our endeavors.

On December 4th, Kevin Johnson from the Election Reformers Network joined other leaders at an AEI-hosted event for a discussion of the status of structural election reform across the country. They explored strategies, proposed reforms, and how these reforms could enhance civility in politics. Nick Troiano of Unite America recently discussed his insights on how to tackle the “primary problem” of closed primary systems on the Another Way podcast. He highlighted how open primaries and majority systems might boost voter turnout and depolarization.

In alignment with our bridging efforts, Utah Governor Spencer Cox’s ‘ Disagree Better’ initiative was featured in the latest episode of Let’s Find Common Ground from the Common Ground Committee. Gov. Cox discussed his belief in the initiative’s potential to combat hyperpartisanship and political dysfunction. The urgency of his campaign was highlighted by a recent quote from a public event where he warned, “Either we, the people, collectively decide we’re going to stop hating our fellow Americans, or we’ll start shooting each other.” With the threat of political violence looming in many minds , this discussion is timely and important as we align our goals for serving the country’s needs in 2024.

International conflicts also impact our domestic conversations and work. Living Room Conversations offers guidance through their Conversations in Troubled Times resource. Insightful pieces in The Fulcrum and on AllSides offer perspectives that help orient healthier discussions around the Israel-Hamas conflict. Mediators Beyond Borders International is set to host discussions tomorrow and Tuesday, December 19th focusing on responding to current events in the Middle East with compassion, awareness, and curiosity instead of reacting with avoidance, aggression, or fear. With the ongoing conflict in Ukraine in mind, the Network for Responsible Public Policy will host its 4th update on the situation there next Thursday, December 21st, featuring a panel of expert speakers.

Next Thursday will also be the last Weekly Update from us for 2023. Time flies, especially during this busy season! We hope you have a wonderful week ahead.

Featured Content

ActiVote (Article) December 7th: The left’s disapproval of Joe Biden

AllSides (Blog) December 7th: Our Politics May Be Different, but We Agree on These 3 Israel-Hamas Arguments

Ballotpedia (Blog) December 11th: At least 16 abortion-related measures could appear on the ballot in 2024

BillTrack50 & IssueVoter (Blog) December 8th: IssueVoter Bill of the Month (Dec 2023): Preventing Deepfake Scams Act

Divided We Fall (Article) December 13th: Will AI Democratize Education?

Election Reformers Network (Video) December 4th: AEI Webinar: Structural Election Reform: What Is Happening in the States?

Interactivity Foundation (Article) December 7th: Just Imagine…Leaving Behind Original Intent?

Independent Voter Project (IVN) December 12th: Another Major National Poll Shows Viable Opening for Prominent Independent Candidate

Living Room Conversations (Guide): Conversations in Troubled Times

National Civic League (Article) December 5th: Essay X: Directions for Democracy Innovation in a Conscious/Subconscious World

Unite America (Recap) November 27th: 5 Key Takeaways from Nick Troiano and Lawrence Lessig

Podcasts

Ballotpedia (On the Ballot) December 7th: Should RCV continue to expand?

Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) December 7th: Disagree Better: Politics Across Divides. Utah Governor Spencer Cox

The Village Square (God Squad) December 7th: God Squad: Ending the Cycle of Mean

The Democracy Group (Democracy Matters) December 11th: Best of 2023: The tensions between expertise and democracy: An interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci

Young Voices (Moving Forward) December 12th: Moving Forward with Young Voices

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Mediators Beyond Borders International (December 15th @ 12:00 pm EST) Responding to War, Violence, and Division

Living Room Conversations (December 16th @ 12 pm MST) Talking to Strangers Conversation

Unify America (December 19th @ 4 pm CST) Unify Challenge

American Promise (December 19th @ 7:30 pm EDT) American Promise Writing & Media Action Team

Network for Responsible Public Policy (December 21st @ 7:30 pm EST) Ukraine Update IV

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Dave Anderson, December 14th: Time to drop the terms pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel

David Meyers, December 14th: Former members of Congress say threats of violence are on the rise

Bradford Fitch, December 13th: Congress may be broken – but it’s not lazy

Alissa Bombardier Shaw, December 12th: Women experts in democracy must be at the table

F. Willis Johnson, December 12th: The power of empathic dialogue

Kim Kleman, December 11th: Local news is in crisis, but there is hope

Members In The News

A More Perfect Union (Jewish News), December 6th: New Jewish org wants to ensure election past is not prologue for 2024 and beyond

American Promise (The Messenger) November 11th: Can We Really Take Money Out of Politics?

Ballotpedia (Axios) November 26th: Lawmakers are ditching Congress at a record pace

Issue One (Politico), November 21st: PhRMA gave big to dark money groups boosting drug pricing critics - POLITICO

RepresentUs (Raw Story) November 14th: Enviro congressman’s wife buys — then dumps — dozens of oil, energy and other stocks

2023 will be over soon. Celebrate the accomplishments of the year and look ahead to 2024!

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 16:11:51 GMT

Celebrating a year full of growth with the launch of our new website and year-end match campaign

As we near the end of 2023, I am filled with gratitude for your unwavering support and engagement in our collective journey. This year has been a landmark in the evolution of the Bridge Alliance and its initiatives, marked by significant transformations and growth.

Our mission remains - to foster a thriving, just, and resilient democratic republic. Our approach, however, continues to evolve.

Today, we’re officially unveiling our re-vamped Bridge Alliance website , tied to the new back-end management system that we rolled out at the start of the year, which helped manage our updated membership options.

Some of our other 2023 milestones include:

Completion of the inaugural JEDIs for Democracy program, ongoing collaborations with the Columbus Foundation, catalytic leadership training initiatives, and the launch of the Dialogue Policing Initiative under our DEI priorities.
Expansion of Citizen Connect to almost 600 organizations, facilitating engagement with thousands with impactful opportunities. Our Member Amplification Program, community streaming projects, and the integration with Coffee Party USA's social media community have broadened our reach, reinforcing our commitment to dialogue and reform.
The Fulcrum continued to increase our impact as we have hit over 3 million page views and nearly 400,000 visitors to date in 2023. Local news outlets across the country picked up much of our content through our relationship with the Tribune News Service and partnerships with the Scholars Strategy Network , Medill News Service , and The Op-Ed Project .
Launch of the Engaged Athlete Fellowship and News Ambassadors programs.

Looking towards 2024, we're excited about the potential impact of our matching donation campaign. Every contribution until year-end will be matched at 50%, doubling the power of your support.

In 2024, we will continue to serve the ecosystem through member services and mutually beneficial partnerships with organizations doing work in the areas of work we seek to weave together. Our 2024 priorities are focused on increasing the impact of our signature projects The Fulcrum and Citizen Connect by:

Revamping Citizen Connect into Citizen Connect 2.0, an expanded 2024 election resource and community engagement platform.
Growing The Fulcrum's reach with strategic partnerships and a new podcast series focusing on national challenges and leadership.
Deepening our impact in DEI and fostering collaboration among our JEDIs and catalytic leaders.
Providing resources and amplification to member organizations through our backbone initiatives to amplify their reach in these critical times.

Your continued support is vital in elevating our mission in 2024. Please consider extending your generosity through our matching year-end gift campaign and enjoy exclusive Friends of Bridge benefits .

Donate Here

Together, let's forge a powerful force for positive change in 2024.

Upholding Integrity and Honoring Justice O'Connor's Legacy

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 23:16:08 GMT

Welcome to December!

I’m energized by the continued dedication and impact we see across the Bridge Alliance, especially after a time of rest and reflection post-Thanksgiving. Our collective work is more vital than ever, and I’m excited to share some recent highlights and thoughts with you.

The ongoing discussions surrounding ethics in Congress have been punctuated by the expulsion of George Santos , bringing the importance of integrity in public office into focus. This situation serves as a reminder of the vital need for ethical leadership and accountability in governance.

In contrast, the legacy of Sandra Day O’Connor offers us inspiration. Her belief in coalition building among diverse perspectives on the bench echoes our values at the Bridge Alliance, but O’Connor’s contributions went far beyond her groundbreaking role on the Supreme Court. Her vision in founding iCivics also resonates deeply with our mission, highlighting the transformative power of civic education in fostering engaged and informed citizens. I also see the connection to our other goals: Well-informed and principled, are essential in holding our political systems and media accountable, paving the way for a hopeful future.

It’s a potent reminder that the collective work we’re doing to move this vision forward couldn’t be more important, or more critical. Your involvement and insights are crucial to our journey. Please feel free to share your thoughts or suggestions on these topics or any other areas you believe we should focus on.

Together, we are not just envisioning but actively constructing a more promising democratic landscape.

Featured Content

A More Perfect Union (Article) December 6th: Democracy as the Foundation that Grounds Us

AllSides (Blog) December 1st: News Companies' Botched AI Usage is Bad for Everyone

Business for America (Report) November 14th: Corporate Political Backlash

Divided We Fall (Article) November 29th: Is a Balanced Budget Amendment Realistic?

Essential Partners (Guide) November 15th: 8 Signs of Polarization in Your Context

iCivics (Blog) December 1st: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Our Founder

Interactivity Foundation (Article) November 30th: Just Imagine...Dishonoring Veterans

Independent Voter Project (IVN) November 30th: The Parties' Candidate Dilemma Is a Nightmare of Their Own Making

Issue One (Press Release) December 1st: Members of Congress have a responsibility to uphold the highest ethical standards

National Civic League (Article) December 1st: Using Democratic Innovation to Rebuild Trust between Elected Officials and Citizens

RepresentUs (Article) November 29th: Santos and the Machine: Why Corruption Thrives in our Broken System

The Horizons Project (Newsletter): THE VISTA: November 2023

Podcasts

American Public Square (At the Square) November 28th: Special Episode: David Axelrod & Michael Steele

Ballotpedia (On the Ballot) December 6th: What's the RCV landscape look like across the country?

Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) November 21st: The Soul of Civility

DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?) December 1st: Imaging a Better Future. How Doomers Prevent Progress: James Pethokoukis

The Democracy Group (Future Hindsight) December 4th: Best of 2023: Radical Acts of Justice

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Braver Angels (December 7th @ 7:00 pm EST) The Race to Control Reality; The Russian Narrative vs. Reality

R Street (December 11th @ 10:00 am EST) Reducing Regulatory Costs and Timelines for Power Plant Development

Bipartisan Policy Center (December 11th @ 11:30 am EST) Medicare Reform: A Bipartisan Solution

American Promise (December 12th @ 5 pm EST) 2023 Speaker Series – Trevor Potter

Living Room Conversations (December 12th @ 7 pm MST) Trust in Elections Conversation

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Beau Breslin, December 6th: Sandra Day O'Connor's legacy has been dismantled

Rick LaRue, December 6th: Holiday reads: A handful of books offer to get the election year spirit

Cynthia Richie Terrell and Rob Ritchie, December 6th: Winning proportional representation: How the U.S. can follow New Zealand's lead

Laurette Laliberte, December 6th: Why I left the Republican Party after 20 years to vote independent

Jack Miller, December 1st: A crisis creates clarity for donors

Staff, November 28th: America’s political orphans

In The News

American Promise (Politico), December 4th: PACs connected to foreign companies spent nearly $20 million in last year’s elections

Ballotpedia (Axios) November 26th: Lawmakers are ditching Congress at a record pace

Election Reformers Network (Bridge MI), November 30th: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs Michigan election law overhaul that aims to prevent ‘chaos’

RepresentUs (Raw Story) November 27th: These 10 legislators have broken a federal disclosure law, just like George Santos

UVA Center for Politics (The Hill), December 1st: Liz Cheney warns US ‘sleepwalking into dictatorship’

From Online to In-Person Dialogue: Embracing Bipartisanship and Thanksgiving Unity

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 23:28:35 GMT

Last week, the Common Ground Committee’s podcast showcased a remarkable transformation.

Last week, the Common Ground Committee’s podcast showcased a remarkable transformation: lawmakers from opposite sides of the aisle discussed their shift from frosty online exchanges to constructive bipartisan cooperation through in-person meetings. In the experiences of Representatives Klicker and Ramel, they found that the nuances of eye contact and the richness of face-to-face interactions, absent in their online meetings, significantly enhanced their ability to connect, both as lawmakers and as friends. The story resonates deeply, especially when reflecting on the contrast between social media interactions and the dynamics of in-person dialogue.

As we navigate the aftermath of the challenging 2023 election season and look ahead to the 2024 cycle , this insight into interpersonal communication is particularly poignant. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many of us are preparing for gatherings that may bring together friends and family across ideological divides.

In anticipation of these conversations, Living Room Conversations offers invaluable guidance for navigating difficult topics with grace and understanding. Additionally, Reinhold Ernst of Veterans for all Voters has penned an insightful summary of strategies for engaging in meaningful discussions about democracy with loved ones. His suggestions aim to steer these conversations toward productive discourse, finding common ground, and forging paths forward together.

I hope that however you spend next week, your Thanksgiving is peaceful. We will not be sending a weekly update next week, so I look forward to re-connecting with the last update of November the following week.

Featured Content

AllSides (Blog) November 13th: When Abortion Rights Define the Political Landscape

Ballotpedia (Article) November 13th: Welcome to the 2024 election cycle

Election Reformers Network (Article) November 9th: ERN and Partners Help Pass Key Michigan Bill to Protect Presidential Elections

Interactivity Foundation (Article) November 9th: Just Imagine…The Negative Effects of Single-Issue Politics

Independent Voter Project (IVN) November 8th: 3 Michigan Cities Passed RCV in 2023, But When Will Voters Get to Use It?

Issue One (Press Release) November 14th: Issue One commends the leadership and legacy of Rep. Derek Kilmer to institute change in Congress

Issue Voter (Blog) November 13th: Notable Results from Election Day 2023

Living Room Conversations (Guide): Friends and Family Guide

National Civic League (Article) November 7th: Essay VII: Power to the People! (But What Will They Do With It?)

The Horizons Project (Newsletter): THE VISTA: October 2023

Podcasts

Civity (This is Civity) November 10th: International Relations Expert Seth Kaplan: Fragile Neighborhoods Repairing American Society One Zip Code at a Time

Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) November 9th: Finding Common Ground In Person - Not Over Zoom

The Democracy Group (Our Body Politic) November 15th: How Poll Workers, the Supreme Court, and Medical Biases Impact U.S. Democracy

The Fulcrum (Collage) November 6th: Community Powered Approaches: Spotlight on the North Flint Action Council

USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future (The Bully Pulpit) November 13th: Book Talk with Adam Nagourney

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Civic Synergy (November 16th @ 5:30 pm CST) Civic Synergy Presents: Empower Youth In Power

Interactivity Foundation (November 17th @ 2 pm ES) Who are We the People–Who Is Being Pushed Out?

American Promise (November 21st @ 7:30 pm EST) American Promise Writing & Media Action Team

Living Room Conversations (November 25th @ 12 pm MST) Relationships First Conversation

Bay College Civics Corps (November 27th @ 7 pm EST) Veterans Speak: An Intergenerational Event

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Juliann Ventura, November 16th: Negative ads overwhelm Virginia voters

Rick LaRue, November 14th: An unamended Constitution is a serious problem

Reinhold Ernst, November 13th: Tips for talking to loved ones about democracy

F. Willis Johnson, November 13th: Dialogue policing in Columbus, Ohio

Kevin Frazier, November 10th: AI and a marketplace of illusion and confusion

Honoring Veterans and Celebrating Civic Engagement

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 01:01:26 GMT

Welcome to November, a month of vivid landscapes and reflective moments.

As we approach Veterans Day, our thoughts naturally turn to the diverse and nuanced experiences of veterans, a reality close to my own heart. This is a time not only for gratitude but also for deeper understanding. Our partners at Veterans for All Voters remind us to extend our recognition beyond a simple “thank you.”

I encourage you to read the Veterans Day Message from Navy veterans Todd Connor and Eric Bronner of Veterans for All Voters . Their words resonate deeply and underscore the importance of active, meaningful engagement. Please join us in amplifying their vital message.

Our collective focus on active engagement is echoed in our community-driven initiatives. Bridge Alliance partners recognize that while national issues demand our attention, transformative change often begins at the local level. It's with this perspective that we spotlight our partners at The National Civic League and their 2024 All-America City Award .

Applications are now open for this prestigious recognition, an initiative dating back to 1949. The 2024 theme, "Strengthening Democracy through Local Action and Innovation," is particularly resonant. They seek to honor communities that are fortifying democratic processes and encouraging civic participation, be it through voter accessibility, community engagement, or leadership opportunities.

Key dates to remember are December 14, 2023, for optional letters of intent, and February 13, 2024, for final applications. They will announce the top 20 finalists in March 2024, who will then present their achievements at the All-America City Award event in Denver, CO, from June 7-9, 2024.

For details on the application process and award criteria, we invite you to view this informational webinar and reviewing the 2023 application guide .

In this season of reflection, let’s honor our veterans' sacrifices and rededicate ourselves to empowering our communities through active and thoughtful engagement.

Featured Content

AllSides (Blog) November 7th: Misinformation Watch: Unpacking Paul Pelosi False Flag Theories

American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Report) October 25th: The Case for Supreme Court Term Limits

American Promise (Article) November 6th: ABA Task Force Submission: A Constitutional Amendment to Revive Self-Government in America

Divided We Fall (Article) November 8th: Is the Republican Party Better or Worse Today?

Interactivity Foundation (Article) November 2nd: Just Imagine…A Lesson on Social Transformation

Independent Voter Project (IVN) November 8th: Ranked Choice Voting Sweeps Again on Election Day

IssueOne (Event Recap) November 3rd: Launch of the Safe Tech, Safe Kids Campaign

Issue Voter (Blog) October 6th: The Current Standing of Abortion Laws in Every U.S. State

National Civic League (Video): So You Want to be a 2024 All-America City?

Veterans for All Voters (Article) November 9th: Honoring Veterans Day

Podcasts

DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?) November 2nd: Polarization Series: The Soul of Civility

The Democracy Group (The Great Battlefield) November 8th: Engaging High School Students in Politics

The McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) November 6th: When populism and democracy collide

The Village Square (God Squad) November 9th: Shut Up and (Don't) Sing

USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future (The Bully Pulpit) November 3rd: Presidential Race 2024

Citizen Connect Featured Events

R Street (November 14th @ 11:30 am EST) Farm Facts and Fairy Tales: Are Today’s Agricultural Policies Aligned with the Real World?

Essential Partners (November 14th @ 3 pm CST) Intergenerational Dialogue Event

Parents Forum (November 14th @ 4 pm CST) Communications Skills Workshops

Living Room Conversations (November 16th @ 10 am PST) Introduction to Living Room Conversations

Civic Synergy (November 16th @ 5:30 pm CST) Civic Synergy Presents: Empower Youth In Power

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Ross Sherman (Unite America) November 9th: The U.S. House of Representatives has a governing problem: Alaska has some answers

John Opdycke (Open Primaries) November 9th: What if neither party can govern?

Staff, November 8th: The Bridge Building Showcase

Debilyn Molineaux, November 6th American Future: Preparing to meet you

David L. Nevins, November 2nd: Politics, celebrity, and Taylor Swift

Our Common Bond: A Deep Dive into Cross-Partisan Dialogue

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 17:07:32 GMT

I hope this Thursday finds you well and still reveling in the festive spirit of Halloween!

Despite a week packed with travel, I'm thrilled to be back just in time to invite you to a captivating event tonight. The Network for Responsible Public Policy is hosting a discussion with Matthew Levendusky , whose insights into overcoming affective polarization and partisan media effects have resonated with many of us. I'll be guest hosting tonight’s session, where Levendusky will delve into research-backed strategies from his recent book, Our Common Bond , to alleviate partisan animosity through dialogue. His work aligns with our understanding that there’s no single solution to the complex challenges facing our democracy.

Additionally, the Common Ground Committee’s latest podcast featuring Rachel Kleinfeld is a must-hear. In it, she discussed political violence and the impact of discourse in cooling down the heat and creating goodwill. You might recall our engaging roundtable with her in September, where she emphasized that discourse is important for de-escalating tensions in the short term, but enduring stability and the defense of democratic norms require deep-rooted institutional changes.

These discussions are more than just intellectual exercises; they are crucial to our joint mission of fostering healthy self-governance and bridging ideological divides. Your participation and insights are invaluable to our collective effort. I look forward to your thoughts and hope to see you at tonight’s events.

Featured Content

AllSides (Blog) October 25th: AllStances™: Should We Ban Assault Weapons?

Civity (Blog) October 29th: A Quilting Meditation on Democracy, Social Connection, & Civity

Congressional Management Foundation (Article) October 31st: How Congressional Staff are Like Gardeners, and Other Takeaways

Divided We Fall (Article) November 1st: Will the Inflation Reduction Act Reduce the Effects of Climate Change?

Essential Partners (Guide) October 23rd: Guide to Talking About the Role of Guns

Independent Voter Project (Video) October 26th: Virtual Discussion: Fighting For Open Primaries in Democratic Strongholds

Issue One (Video) October 5th: It’s More Than Just TikTok: A Virtual Panel with National Security and Technology Experts

National Civic League (Essay) October 26th: Essay V: The Internet Knows Where You Are

Unite America (Report) October 24th: Alaska's Election Model: How the top-four nonpartisan primary system improves participation, competition, and representation

Podcasts

Alliance for Peacebuilding (Peace: We Build It!) October 24th: AfP at 20: More than Two Decades of Peacebuilding

Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) October 26th: Polarization and political violence: Rachel Kleinfeld

Everyday Democracy (Reimagining and Redesigning Democracy) October 27th: Reimagining and Redesigning Democracy with Merle McGee

The Village Square (Village SquareCast) October 26th: Dr. Todd Rose: Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions

USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future (The Bully Pulpit) October 30th: A Conversation with The Honorable Pete Buttigieg

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Network for Responsible Public Policy (November 2nd @ 7:30 pm EDT) We Need to Talk: Affective Polarization and Discussion

Interactivity Foundation (November 3rd @ 2 pm EDT) Who are We the People–Who Is Being Pushed Out?

Living Room Conversations (November 6th @ 5 pm MST) Trust in Elections Conversations

92NY Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact (November 7th @ 7 pm EST) Backsliding Democracies and Women’s Rights in the U.S.

Business for America (November 9th @ 12 pm EST) Business Perspectives on Political Backlash

Featured Fulcrum Articles

David L. Nevins, James C. Nelson, November 1st: Just another day in paradise

Sara Gifford (Activote) November 1st: Five reasons to be active this November - The Fulcrum

David Meyers, October 31st: Can Speaker Mike Johnson find common ground with Democrats?

Dave Anderson, October 30th: Transitioning to tripartisanship

Elizabeth Doty, October 30th: How business can help address the American schism without touching political “third rails”

Navigating the AI Frontier: Balancing Potential and Risks in Democracy

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 21:11:48 GMT

In the ever-changing landscape of democracy, AI has emerged as a powerful force with great potential and significant risks.

President Biden summarized it well in his address to Silicon Valley in May, "What you're doing has enormous potential and enormous danger." Our partners at the Alliance for Peacebuilding have recently released a brief titled " Designing AI for Conflict Prevention & Peacebuilding, " shedding light on the pivotal role AI plays in shaping the future of our democracy.

The potential for AI in peacebuilding is remarkable. It offers tools that can bridge divides, translating for mass dialogue to facilitate real-time conversations, ultimately fostering social cohesion. However, this immense promise is matched by significant risks. Misinformation, deep-fake videos, civil liberty violations, trust erosion in institutions, censorship, discriminatory algorithmic biases, and the potential for economic job loss due to AI automation are among the challenges we face.

The Alliance for Peacebuilding highlights that Congress can play a vital role by mandating a comprehensive AI strategy encompassing both foreign and domestic policy. While Congress has acknowledged AI's societal impact, it has yet to address its role in international conflict prevention explicitly. They present an urgent call for regulation.

Last week, Issue One submitted a public comment to the FEC , focusing on one immediate AI-related risk: deceptive generative AI in political campaign ads. This issue is not theoretical; it's already happening.

Writing for the Fulcrum , Kevin Frazier presents a unique idea to address these concerns - " Put AI on the ballot ." He suggests a national advisory referendum on how to regulate AI, ensuring the public has a direct say in this critical matter rather than leaving it solely in the hands of Congress.

In a glimmer of bipartisanship, Citizen Data's latest Data for Democracy report indicates that an increasing majority of Americans, including 60% of self-identified Democrats and 70% of Independents and Republicans, now recognize the potential of AI to spread false or misleading information that could influence our democratic processes.

We have a collective concern, and an opportunity to address it with bipartisan resolve. As we move forward, the question of how we harness AI's power is critical. The balance between its potential for good and the risks it poses demands our attention and careful consideration.

Featured Content

Alliance for Peacebuilding (Brief) October 23rd: Designing AI for Conflict Prevention & Peacebuilding

AllSides (Blog) October 22nd: Media Literacy Week: What is it, and why is it important?

Citizen Data (Survey) October 24th: Concern for AI’s Impact on Democracy Transcends Political Divides

Divided We Fall (Article) October 18th: Can Proportional Representation Fix Our Broken Politics?

Essential Partners (Article) October 23rd: How to Start a Hard Conversation About the Israel-Hamas War

Issue One (Public Comment) October 16th: Issue One calls on the FEC to prevent the use of deceptive generative AI in political campaign ads

Network for Responsible Public Policy (Video) October 20th: What Are Human Rights Anyway?

RepresentWomen (Brief) October 24th: Brief: Proportional Ranked Choice Voting

Unite America (Report) October 24th: Alaska's Election Model: How the top-four nonpartisan primary system improves participation, competition, and representation

Podcasts & Videos

DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?) October 20th: Polarization Series: The Keys to Good Conflict

The Democracy Group (Democracy Decoded) October 23rd: Keeping an Eye on Ethics

The Democracy Group (The Great Battlefield) October 25th: AI and politics with Tareq and Aaron of Chorus AI

The McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) October 23rd: Understanding union voters

USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future (The Bully Pulpit) October 21st: Combating Antisemitism and Hatred featuring Bob Shrum, Bret Stephens, and Zev Yaroslavsky

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Peace Through Action USA (October 26th @ 7 pm EDT) Peaceful Cities

Black Women for Positive Change (October 28th @ 11 am EDT) Promoting School Safety

Braver Angels (October 29th @ 3 pm CDT) Faith and Polarization: A Participatory Afternoon

Crossing Party Lines (October 30th @ 1 pm CDT) Book Chat: Meet Author Scott Shigeoka

Network for Responsible Public Policy (November 2nd @ 7:30 pm EDT) We Need to Talk: Affective Polarization and Discussion

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Leland R. Beaumont, October 25th: Valuing intellectual honesty and DEI

David L. Nevins, October 24th: United Nations day is today

Kevin Frazier, October 20th: Put AI on the ballot

Dave Anderson, October 20th: Kevin McCarthy’s downfall may lead to a new center for America - The Fulcrum

In The News

Election Reformers Network (Law360) October 16th: Ballot Measure Fights Spilling From Voting Booth Into Court

Issue One (MSNBC) September 28th: ‘Democracy is on the line’ in 2024 says AZ Secretary of State

MWEG (Deseret News) October 17th: Can Mormon Women for Ethical Government strike the right balance?

Navigating Complex Conversations: Dealing with Misinformation and Mental Well-Being

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 20:56:37 GMT

There is much happening in the U.S. and in the world.

The attack on Israel and Israeli military action have seized our collective attention this week, and there’s no doubt that will remain a focal point for the foreseeable future. Even among experts in dialogue, engaging in nuanced conversations about such emotionally charged events presents a considerable challenge - especially when they involve deadly attacks on civilians. The historical backdrop of Israel and Palestine is undeniably complex, and many in the U.S. recognize the difficulties in discussing this topic. Given these complexities, it's noteworthy that this week's Divided We Fall’s article on navigating the complexities of the conflict was written by ChatGPT .

Amid the multitude of individuals and organizations discussing these events, one of the primary challenges many face right now is the need for unbiased information. Fortunately, resources like AllSides continue to be invaluable for understanding the historical context of the conflict , identifying and countering misinformation , and navigating news coverage without falling victim to manipulation .

In addition to staying informed, it's essential to consider the well-being of both ourselves and our communities. An article from The Conversation published in the wake of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine offers practical advice on managing mental health when stepping away from the news isn’t an option.

Your commitment and engagement are deeply appreciated. Thank you for all you continue to contribute.

Featured Content

AllSides (Blog) October 9th: When Events Get in the Way

Divided We Fall (Article) October 9th: Navigating the Complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Essential Partners (Article) October 6th: Dialogue, Race, and Equity in the Religious Studies Classroom

FairVote (Report) October 4th: The “Motion to Vacate” and Electoral Incentives

Issue One (Report) September 26th: The High Cost of High Turnover - Issue One

Independent Voter Network (Article) October 6th: Congress In Chaos: How Extreme Minority Rule Has Broken Our Government

Mormon Women for Ethical Government (Toolkit) October 10th: Media Literacy Toolkit

RepresentUS (Event Recap) October 5th: American Democracy Summit 2023 Recap

US Values Alliance (Blog) October 4th: What Do We Mean When We Say Unity

Podcasts & Videos

A More Perfect Union (It’s Who You Know) September 29th: Unlikely Allies: Bringing Voices Together

Ballotpedia (On the Ballot) October 5th: The Grade's Alexander Russo on Improving Education Journalism

DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?) October 6th: Polarization Series: Is Social Media to Blame? Professor Chris Ball

The Fulcrum (Vital Signs of Democracy) October 3rd: What does it take to "do democracy?"

The McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) October 9th: A conflict at the heart of our political disagreements

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Black Women for Positive Change (October 2023 - All Month) Month of Nonviolence

Network for Responsible Public Policy (October 13th @ 5 pm EDT) Civil Liberties: The Next Hundred Years

Network for Responsible Public Policy (October 14th @ 5 pm CDT) The 2023 Bridge-Building Innovation Showcase

Braver Angels (October 17th @ 6:30 pm CDT) Ranked-Choice Voting and Depolarization

American Promise (October 17th @ 7 pm EDT) Leadership Speaker Series – Shaylyn Romney Garrett

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Your Take (The Fulcrum) October 11th: Your Take: Mccarthy ousted as Speaker

F. Willis Johnson (Bridge Alliance) October 11th: Observing the right to freely read

Steph Scaglia (RepresentWomen) October 10th: Reimagining local governance: What we've learned so far from NYC's woman majority council

Kevin Frazier, October 6th: Artificial: New AI tools create opportunity to choose convenience over real human engagement

Chris McIsaac, October 5th: Efforts to fix Congress gain traction

Nurturing Our Democracy Through Community and Engagement

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 16:27:38 GMT

Happy October! While last week’s beautiful weather in L.A. was a treat, I’m happy to be back in Chicago just in time to savor the fleeting, crisp fall weather this weekend.

The American Democracy Summit was a truly engaging and worthwhile experience. It provided an opportunity to network with reformers, bridge-builders, civic educators, and individuals dedicated to strengthening our democracy. One thing became abundantly clear - after not having a summit (formerly known as the “un-rig the system” summit) since 2019, the enthusiasm within our community of practitioners was palpable. The power of community is both empowering and invigorating.

During the summit, in collaboration with our partners at Resolutionaries, we engaged in numerous discussions about the Building Civic Bridges Act. Additionally, we explored how Citizen Connect can serve as a valuable resource within the ecosystem of practitioners, facilitating connections with citizens. I look forward to continuing those conversations!

Looking ahead to the events scheduled in our community, I am particularly excited about tomorrow’s event from The Village Square , titled “Join or Die''. Ahead of the Zoom discussion with Dr. Robert Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett on their book, “The Upswing”, registrants have the opportunity to watch the yet-to-be-officially-released movie, “Join or Die”. The film explores the importance of joining clubs and the profound impact it can have on the destiny of our nation. You can still register for tomorrow’s event and receive a private screening link to watch the film through Sunday. Whether or not you have time to watch the film before the event, both the movie and discussion promise invaluable insights.

One key takeaway from Dr. Putnam’s insight is that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all national strategy for repairing social capital among communities. This resonates with the diverse range of practitioners working in the fields of bridge-building, civic engagement, reform, and peacebuilding. In “The Upswing”, the authors call for a “nonpartisan movement joining specific efforts together in a compelling citizen-drive call for large-scale reform”, emphasizing a need for “sustained and coordinated efforts of groups spread out across the country”. We concur - and we recognize that achieving it necessitates crafting a new narrative that brings together disparate efforts into a cohesive vision for the future of America, as well as a retraining and retooling of Americans for active citizenship.

Thank you for being an integral part of this journey towards a more robust and inclusive democracy and for contributing to the revival of our sense of community.

Featured Content

ActiVote/AllSides (Blog) October 2nd: What do we really think about energy independence?

Ballotpedia (Blog) September 25th: Democratic party committees maintain lead over Republican counterparts in fundraising and spending

BridgeUSA/AllSides (Blog) September 26th: Abortion & Guns Are Two of the Hardest Issues to Discuss. Here’s Why.

Business for America (Blog) October 3rd: Earlier Primary Would Boost Pennsylvania Voters’ Role

Divided We Fall (Article) September 27th: Do Third Parties Help or Harm Democracy?

Issue One with Public Citizen (Video) September 22nd: Generative Artificial Intelligence: The Impact on Democracy

Independent Voter Network (Article) October 3rd: House to Vote on New Speaker -- Why Not an Independent?

Living Room Conversations (Guide) September 18th: Back to School

National Civic League (Article) September 28th: Riding the Waves of Democracy Innovation

The Horizons Project (Article) October 3rd: Faith in Democracy: Mobilizing Religious Communities for Democratic Change

Podcasts & Videos

Ballotpedia (On the Ballot) September 28th: How Competitive Are This November's State Legislative Elections?

Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) September 28th: The Challenge of Fixing Congress

DaviesContent (How Do We Fix It?) September 22nd: Polarization: My Side Is Wrong.

The Democracy Group (Democracy in Danger) October 2nd: We Contain Multitudes: Democracy in Danger

The McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) September 25th: What can we learn from early democracies?

Citizen Connect Featured Events

USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future (October 4th @ 4 pm PDT) Post Covid: The Unequal State of Health in America

The Village Square (October 5th @ 7 pm EDT) Join or Die with Dr. Robert Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett

Network for Responsible Public Policy (October 13th @ 5 pm EDT) Civil Liberties: The Next Hundred Years

National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation (October 13 - 15) NCDD 2023

American Public Square (October 14th @ 5 pm CDT) The 2023 Bridge-Building Innovation Showcase

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Bradford Fitch (Congressional Management Foundation) October 3rd: What really are “special interests” in Washington - and how they influence Congress

Debilyn Molineaux, September 26th: Sit down with Deepa Iyer of Building Movement Project

Joe Weston, September 22nd: Ask Joe: Warring with AI is warring with ourselves

Ken Powley (Team Democracy) September 29th: The Carter Center and Team Democracy unite to advance candidate principles for trusted elections

Rachel Bonar (Mormon Women for Ethical Government) September 26th: Pin the blame on the other party

In The News

Congressional Management Foundation, Issue One (Roll Call) September 28th: Shutdowns of the past were ‘emotional,’ ‘terrible’ for Hill staffers

Issue One (NPR) September 26th: In some states, more than half of the local election officials have left since 2020

Leadership Now Project (Fortune) September 11th: Supporting democracy is not a partisan issue–it’s what all Americans expect of business ahead of the 2024 election

Living Room Conversations (Newsweek) October 3rd: We Must All Work Together To Have a Trustworthy 2024 Election

Unite America (Washington Post) September 29th: Who elects these clowns, exactly? As it turns out, almost none of us.

Looking Toward Election Season Through the Lens of a Healthy Democracy

communications@bridgealliance.us (Kristina Becvar) — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:36:39 GMT

Next week, I'll have the privilege of attending the American Democracy Summit in L.A.

I hope you're having a wonderful Thursday. As we approach the week’s end, I wanted to give you a brief update. Next week, I'll have the privilege of attending the American Democracy Summit , which means we’ll be taking a brief pause from sending our regular weekly update. However, I'm excited for what updates I'll have to share upon my return.

Our collective efforts within the Bridge Alliance are centered around strengthening our nation, and we approach this mission from a diverse range of perspectives. Each field represented within our alliance is gearing up for the upcoming election cycle in its distinct way. In this week’s resources, you’ll see the diversity of focus, ranging from public polling on perspectives concerning money in politics to an exploration of the connection between the loneliness epidemic and the state of our civic life. We’re following the emerging slate of 2024 candidates coming into view, as well as discussions on who should lead the parties .

Relevant to any discussion on candidates is the recent announcement of the Team Democracy and Carter Center initiative, Candidate Principles for Trusted Elections . We’re also proud to announce our organizational support for this initiative and its underlying principles. These principles underscore the essential cornerstones of a healthy constitutional democracy, including integrity, nonviolence, security, oversight, and the peaceful transfer of power.

So, what ties all of these endeavors together? It's our collective commitment to the health and vitality of our democracy and our relentless pursuit of social cohesion that benefits both individuals and our collective community. Each of these initiatives contributes to our overarching mission: forging a stronger, more inclusive, and more responsive democratic system.

I look forward to sharing more about the incredible work happening within our movement when I return from the summit. Until then, have a fantastic two weeks!

Featured Content

AllSides (Blog) September 18th: When Impeachment Isn’t That Interesting Anymore

Ballotpedia (Blog) September 21st: 14 U.S. House members have announced they will not run for re-election in 2024, below 2018-2022 average

Citizen Data/American Promise (Poll) September 18th: 2023 National Poll

Citizen Data/Institute for Citizens and Scholars (Poll) September 21st: The Civic Outlook of Young Adults in America

Essential Partners (Article) September 18th: Surgeon General: Loneliness Epidemic Requires Investments In Social Connection

Divided We Fall (Article) September 20th: Who Should Lead the Democratic Party in 2024?

Independent Voter Network (Article) September 20th: Party Members Only: The Bipartisan Scheme to Rig Presidential Debates | Independent Voter News

Team Democracy (Press Release) September 18th: The Carter Center and Team Democracy Unite to Advance Candidate Principles for Trusted Elections

Podcasts & Videos

Ballotpedia (On the Ballot) September 7th: Almanac of American Politics Author Rich Cohen

Common Ground Committee (Let’s Find Common Ground) September 14th: A New Definition of Citizenship: Rights and Obligations. Richard Haass

The Center for Politics at UVA (Politics is Everything) September 20th: What Can Save Us From AI?

The Democracy Group (Democracy Decoded) September 20th: All Politics is Local

The McCourtney Institute for Democracy (Democracy Works) September 18th: Building better bureaucracy

Citizen Connect Featured Events

Network for Responsible Public Policy (September 21st @ 7:30 pm EDT) State of the 2024 Elections: Context and Predictions from Academe

Better Arguments Project (September 26th @ 3 pm EDT) Better Arguments 101

American Public Square (September 26th @ 5:30 pm CDT) Exploring Gender and Identity: A Respectful Conversation About Evolving Ideologies

RepresentUs (September 27 - 29) American Democracy Summit 2023

Living Room Conversations (September 28th @ 9 am MDT) Relationships First Conversation

Featured Fulcrum Articles

Julio A. Alicea, September 21st: To advance racial equity, policy makers must move away from the "Black and Brown" discourse

Rick LaRue & Jamie Raskin, September 21st: Constitution Day conversation with Jamie Raskin: Preserving democracy today and tomorrow

Michael Beckel & Ariana Rojas (Issue One) September 20th: Meet the Faces of Democracy: Stephen Richer

Pedro Silva (YOUnify) September 20th: The alchemy of laughter

Lisa Kay Solomon, September 19th: Learning to make “the right call” in the right moments