Historically, two contrasting meanings of democracy and democratic governance have co-existed within the United States. One emphasizes politicians and government and the other the agency of the people.
Gerrymandered legislative districts distort democracy and reduce the power of voters to elect their chosen representatives. A former Ohio jurist discusses an effort by a civic organization to reform the redistricting process in her state.
Public incivility and toxic behavior can spread like contagion if unchecked, weakening our ability to collaborate and cooperate to solve the complex challenges our local governments face.
Social capital, the interpersonal links that allow groups and people to work together, can be a double-edged sword when it comes to vaccinating members of the public against COVID. It can be productive or unproductive, depending on the partisan lens through which it communicates, shares and sustains.
Authentic public deliberation seldom happens in the official interactions between citizens and government in America today. But efforts to introduce deliberative discussions in official meetings sometimes meets resistance from political leaders and members of the public.
Shop Local campaigns often miss a great opportunity to connect the dots for community members and show them how their purchasing choices directly affect their own balance sheets in more ways than one.
In a new book, academic Ismar Volić examines the mathematics that govern how our election systems work or, more often, don’t work. Although the author is a math professor, the book reads nothing like a math textbook. It stays approachable, even while diving deep into its subject.
In addressing a new era of political mistrust and polarization, it would be useful to look at our history and how public administration and city/county management have evolved. An excellent historical place to start would be with Woodrow Wilson.
In 1936 the voters of New York City launched a bold experiment in election systems reform adopting the “ranked choice voting” form of proportional representation for city council races. Ten years later, bi-partisan opposition from party insiders and Cold War era fears ended the experiment abruptly.
