Essay II: Local Civic Leaders: Facing Threats to Democracy in Communities

October 3, 2023

By examining the work of local civic leaders, we can get a better sense of what is happening to democracy, including the threats we face and what we might do...

Announcing the Democracy Innovations for Better Public Meetings Project

September 29, 2023

Local democratic meetings are facing significant challenges. Some of these challenges include poor or limited attendance, polarized atmospheres that consist of division between members of a community and between members...

Essay I: Riding the Waves of Democracy Innovation

September 28, 2023

Riding the Waves of Democracy Innovation: The Pressures, People, and Ideas Shaping the Future of Citizenship  The terms “democracy” and “citizenship” aren’t usually associated with innovation. People tend to think...

Innovating Public Meetings through Asynchronous Online Engagement

September 27, 2023

  ‘Time is a gift. Every minute. Every second.’ -Lewis Carroll, Alice Through the Looking Glass  ‘If you knew Time as well as I do, said the Hatter, ‘you wouldn’t...

Climate Progress Depends on Local Democracy

September 27, 2023

“Forget the national level, forget the state level; if you really want to make a difference on climate change, focus on the local level,” said Rocky Piro, a former local...

The Future of Citizenship Conference

September 11, 2023

Registration is now open for The Future of Citizenship Conference, which will be held in Washington, D.C. on November 30th! For the first time, the conference is being co-produced by...

What do people need to feel heard?

September 1, 2023

Local officials and staff know that not everyone is going to be happy with the decisions they make.  As Abraham Lincoln famously pointed out, “You can never please all of...

Travels with Ciara: A Road Trip and a Civics Lesson in Massachusetts

August 29, 2023

Experts have been worrying about the sad state of civic education for years. According to a 2018 study by the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, only one in three Americans...

From Katrina to Maui: Community Matters

August 29, 2023

In the wake of the devastating fires in Maui stood local residents and people from neighboring islands ready to pitch in. Scores of volunteers showed up with supplies and offers...

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