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News & Events

News & Updates

Illustration from Vox Explainer video about expanding the House of Representatives.
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February 19, 2026

Popular Explainer Video Builds on Ƶ Work

Among the 31 recommendations in the Ƶ's cross-partisan publication, Our Common Purpose, was a proposal to enlarge the House of Representatives to ensure better and more responsive representation for Americans across the country. The idea was explored in a "Vox, America Explained" video which featured the Ƶ's work.
State House in Utah.
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January 30, 2026

Democracy Initiatives at the State Level

States across the country took steps to advance and impede recommendations in the Ƶ's crosspartisan publication, Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century. Learn more about which issues - including civics education, redistricting commissions, and voting regulations - were addressed and where.
Woman engaging college students in an amphitheater seating arrangement.
Press Release
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January 26, 2026

Helping Higher Education Leaders Prepare Students for Civic Life

The Ƶ has released a publication designed to help colleges and universities address a defining academic and societal challenge: preparing young people today with the knowledge, skills, and habits to sustain a healthy constitutional democracy. Preparing Students for Civic Life: A Guide for Higher Education Leaders includes strategies and case studies.
Students signing up for activities at an event at University of Pennsylvania. Photo by Eric Sucar.
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American Institutions, Society & the Public Good

The American Ƶ of Arts and Sciences was founded by visionaries who foresaw that the nascent republic would benefit from the expertise of learned citizens to guide its development, health, and integrity through any challenges that may arise.
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The U.S. House of Representatives is called into session on opening day of the 115th Congress, Jan. 3, 2017.
In the News
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December 10, 2025

Support for Enlarging the House of Representatives in the Boston Globe

A Boston Globe editorial endorses responding to the nation’s “redistricting war” by increasing the size of the House of Representatives from its current 435 members, as recommended by the Ƶ in Our Common Purpose and a subsequent detailed proposal.
Source:
Boston Globe editorial
Maryland State House with trees in foreground.
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November 25, 2025

Update on Proportional Representation

One of the recommendations for strengthening American democracy proposed in Our Common Purpose - the report of a bipartisan Ƶ commission - is to move to a system of proportional representation where elected seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are based on the share of votes each party or candidate receives. This article examines legislative progress at the federal and state levels concerning proportional representation.
Visual of a graphic ranging from exclusion to belonging from Ƶ report..
In the News
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November 4, 2025

Who Can Rescue Democracy?

The Ƶ's publication, Habits of Heart and Mind, was included in an Opinion piece by Daniel Stid (American Enterprise Institute) on the importance of local approaches to rebuilding civic culture and strengthening democracy.
Source:
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Six colorful images of the Capitol building.
Press Release
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October 9, 2025

Publication on Expanding Representation in Congress Issued

A new publication, which emerged from the Ƶ's Our Common Purpose work, proposes alternatives to the “winner-take-all” system used in most U.S. elections. The proposed alternatives have the potential to reduce partisan divides and virtually eliminate gerrymandering.
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July 24, 2025

Update on Federal and State Investments in Civics Education

One of the recommendations for strengthening American democracy proposed in Our Common Purpose - the report of a bipartisan Ƶ commission - is to invest in civic education programs and professional development opportunities for educators in all communities. This article examines legislative progress at the federal, state, and local levels concerning civics education.
Balcony at Monticello with Autumn Foliage in the Background
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May 29, 2025

Ahead of Nation's 250th, Monticello Exhibit Invites Reflection

The bipartisan Ƶ commission that issued the Our Common Purpose report recommended using the commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary to develop shared narratives about our nation’s story. An article in the New York Times highlights a new tour at Monticello -- developed in collaboration with two OCP Champion organizations -- that invites reflections on today’s challenges through a historical lens.
Source:
New York Times
Sample Ranked Choice Voting Ballot from Alaska Voter Education Materials
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May 28, 2025

Update on Ranked Choice Voting Legislation at Federal and State Levels

One of the recommendations for strengthening American democracy proposed in Our Common Purpose - the report of a bipartisan Ƶ commission - is to enact ranked-choice voting (RCV) for presidential, congressional, and state elections. This article examines legislative progress at the federal, state, and local levels concerning ranked-choice voting.
OCP Cochairs with Goodwin Liu December 2024 Opening Panel
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Our Common Purpose Champions Convening

In 1780, the founders of the American Ƶ of Arts and Sci­ences were facing a critical moment during the beginning years of the American democratic project. At the height of the American Revolutionary War, the scholar-patriots who would establish the Ƶ gathered to create an institution that could help make a nascent republic function and thrive.
In the News
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America’s civic culture is battered but not broken

Ben Klutsey, a member of the Ƶ's working group on defining civic culture, expands on key lessons from the working group's report on fortifying civic culture, including how Americans can promote habits of service, share narratives of common purpose, and engage in other activities that strengthen civic culture.
Source:
The Hill
Interior of the U S House of Representatives
In the News
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How to Fix America's Two-Party Problem

How to improve Congress? An opinion feature in the New York Times highlights bold ideas to make Congress better, including a link to the Ƶ's report, "The Case for Enlarging the House of Representatives.” The opinion piece and the report explain how expanding Congress would make it more representative, better serve voters, and keep the institution in line with the Founders’ vision.
Source:
New York Times
People Standing and Listening
In the News
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September 27, 2024

To save our democracy, fix our civic culture

Announcing the launch of a new report from the Ƶ's working group on defining civic culture, this OpEd in the Seattle Times explains the meaning of civic culture, why it’s central to American constitutional democracy and how to foster it in our communities.
Source:
The Seattle Times
Small Group Conversation for Civic Culture Publication
Press Release
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September 26, 2024

Ƶ Releases Roadmap for Fortifying Civic Culture

An Ƶ working group has issued a new resource for repairing and strengthening civic culture in America. In a highly polarized political environment, the Ƶ’s new publication reminds us America is united by people who believe in its ideals and who balance their self-interest with the well-being of their community and country.
Conservation Corps Members at work in a Montana Forest
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March 29, 2024

Helping to Build Demand for National Service

One of the recommendations for strengthening democracy proposed in Our Common Purpose - the report of a bipartisan Ƶ commission - is expanding national service. To support that initiative, the Ƶ partnered with organizational leaders in the national service field to develop a better understanding of why people serve and how to increase engagement. This article shares key findings from that effort.
Stylized illustration of the Supreme Court building. There are three transparent images of the building on top of one another in light blue, dark blue, and dark red. The background of the illustration is a bright red.
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New Ƶ Publication Makes the Case for Supreme Court Term Limits

A bipartisan Ƶ Commission recommended eighteen-year terms for Supreme Court justices to “help move the Court toward a less partisan future, restoring its legitimacy as an independent arbiter of justice.” The idea from Our Common Purpose is detailed further in a subsequent publication.
In the News
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December 21, 2023

American democracy is cracking. These ideas could help repair it.

Washington Post chief correspondent and Ƶ member Dan Balz highlights ways ordinary citizens can address problems with the U.S. political system in an op-ed that includes recommendations from Our Common Purpose, including independent redistricting commissions, expanding the House, implementing ranked choice voting, and more.

Source:
Washington Post
I Voted Sticker on a White Background
In the News
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November 7, 2023

Massachusetts should move local elections to even-numbered years

Amplifying a recommendation in Our Common Purpose, this OpEd in the Boston Globe proposes aligning state and federal election calendars to strengthen democracy by increasing participation, representation, and engagement in voting. 
Source:
Boston Globe
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October 26, 2023

Event Celebrates and Considers New Publication on Supreme Court Term Limits

An event with Professor Akhil Amar, Professor Charles Fried, journalist Kimberly Atkins Stohr, Fix the Court Executive Director Gabe Roth, and Judge Patti Saris focused on the new report from the Ƶ's bipartisan U.S. Supreme Court Working Group in favor of Supreme Court Term Limits.
In the News
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October 25, 2023

Law360: New Report Champions Term Limits For Supreme Court.

A Law360 article about the publication "The Case for Supreme Court Term Limits" issued by the Ƶ's bipartisan working group quotes Professor Akhil Reed Amar and Professor Charles Fried who are members of the working group and the Ƶ.
Source:
Law360
Reuters Logo
In the News
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October 25, 2023

US Judge, Scholars Urge Supreme Court Term Limits in Bipartisan Push

A Reuters article about the publication "The Case for Supreme Court Term Limits" - issued by the Ƶ's bipartisan working group - quotes Professor Akhil Amar and Judge Patti Saris, and cites U.S. Circuit Judge Diane Wood and Professor Charles Fried, all of whom are members of the working group and the Ƶ.
Source:
Reuters
In the News
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April 15, 2023

Pros and Cons of Expanding the House

Interest in enlarging the House of Representatives - a recommendation included in the Ƶ's Our Common Purpose report - is growing and there are now two legislative proposals seeking to enlarge the House to increase responsiveness and representation.
Source:
Congressional Digest
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Reinventing Democracy: How Hometowns Are Strengthening America

When looking at American politics at the national level, it is easy to become cynical about the future of our democracy. High levels of polarization persist, and the headlines all too often are dominated by stories of government dysfunction.
House of Representatives at State of the Union Address
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Online

Yuval Levin (American Enterprise Institute)'s Opinion Piece in the New York Times on the case for enlarging the House of Representatives; with the headline “Some Good Can Come Out of the Kevin McCarthy Fiasco.”
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February 10, 2023

Discussing Democracy and Civic Renewal in Arizona: Flinn Foundation Hosts

At events in Phoenix hosted by local supporters of civic work, there were opportunities for the leaders of the Our Common Purpose project to share progress on recommendations in the report and for discussions that showcased local initiatives strengthening democracy in Arizona.
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December 19, 2022

Ƶ Hosts Conference on Reinventing Democracy at the Local Level

The conference on local initiatives strengthening democracy convened mayors, city councilors, county executives, and other local government officials - along with scholars and experts – to engage on topics including ranked choice voting in local elections, civic learning and engagement, clean elections programs, mechanisms to expand citizen participation, investment in healthy civic infrastructure, and more.
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Democracy was a Big Winner in the Midterms

Across the country, state and local referenda gave voters a chance to enact the recommendations in Our Common Purpose. Almost everywhere, they did just that, supporting ballot measures to expand ranked-choice voting, increase access to early voting, and improve transparency around election funding.
In the News
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KET Interview with Renee Shaw

On October 18, Stephen Heintz, President and CEO of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) and one of three cochairs of the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, and Dr. Carolyn Lukensmeyer, a member of the Commission, sat down with Renee Shaw for the KET program Connections to talk about the Commission's bipartisan report, Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century.
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October 27, 2022

Statement Issued in Advance of Midterm Elections

The cochairs of the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship issued a statement in advance of the midterm elections - identifying threats to free, fair, and participatory elections and ways to address them.
In the News
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October 25, 2022

See how your votes aren’t equal

A CNN column about voting and equality features Ƶ recommendations for strengthening democracy - specifically to enlarge the House of Representatives - in the section titled "How to make the US more democratic"
Source:
CNN
In the News
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October 13, 2022

It shouldn’t matter so much whether Elon Musk buys Twitter

Commentary in the Berkshire Eagle by Binyamin Appelbaum, a member of the New York Times's editorial board, considers ways to address the power possessed by the owners of social media sites. Options presented include a recommendation for a public-interest mandate from the Ƶ's Our Common Purpose report.
Source:
New York Times
In the News
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How social media has undermined our constitutional architecture

Danielle Allen writes about how Facebook is weakening our democratic institutions and what can be done to rebuild them. For solutions, she draws on recommendations in the Our Common Purpose report issued by the Ƶ Commission she cochaired.
Source:
The Washington Post
In the News
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Connecting Communities: Libraries as Invisible Infrastructure

Public libraries and their grounded, portable and invisible civic infrastructure give us another, better way to relate to ourselves and to each other — not only as consumers, but as citizens.
Source:
NLC - National League of Cities
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New Ƶ Report Makes the Case for Enlarging the House of Representatives

The framers of the U.S. Constitution intended the House of Representatives to be “the People’s House.” For decades, the House grew as the nation grew. Then, in 1929, Congress capped the size of the House at 435 seats. A new Ƶ report assesses the impacts and alternatives with a proposal for enlarging the House now.
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Reckoning with Organizational History

Over the last few years, organizations across the United States – corporations, universities, and nonprofits like the American Ƶ – have begun to reflect on their ties to slavery, Native genocide, and other troubling elements of American history. The Ƶ’s virtual event on “Reckoning with Organizational History” explored why historical self-examination matters and what can be gained from these studies.
Press Release
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President Jimmy Carter Joins Majority of Americans in Supporting a Proposed U.S. Constitutional Amendment to Address Election Spending

President Jimmy Carter and Republican former Senators Olympia Snowe (ME) and Alan Simpson (WY) joined a majority of Americans across the political spectrum to support a Constitutional Amendment - as proposed in the Ƶ's Our Common Purpose report - addressing the explosive rise in election spending and the civic distrust and division it generates. 
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Voices of the Future and a Youth Agenda for American Democracy

Ahead of the White House’s December 2021 Summit for Democracy and as part of its ongoing efforts to advance the recommendations in Our Common Purpose, the Ƶ organized two initiatives last fall aimed at young people: a national polling project and a summit of young leaders, who were brought together for their expertise, vision, and commitment to making progress on critical issues in their communities.
In the News
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Should we expand the House of Representatives? The Founders thought so

The crafters of the Constitution expected the size of the House to grow as the U.S. population increased. Citing the American Ƶ report on “The Case for Expanding the House of Representatives,” Kevin Kosar calls for Capitol Hill to consider the proposition.
Source:
The Hill
More than two dozen countries make voting a civic duty akin to jury duty. CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY
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How to boost voter turnout to nearly 100 percent

Saving democracy might require mandatory voting — and Massachusetts can lead the way. Miles Rapoport, of the Ƶ's Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, and Alex Keyssar make the case for universal voting.
Source:
The Boston Globe
In the News
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Philanthropy Can Help Build a Thriving Democracy by Building Up Programs and Places That Fuel Civic Involvement

Communities with strong civic infrastructure engender greater civic engagement and a sense of belonging. Stephen Heintz, cochair of the American Ƶ’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, argues that philanthropy should lead in funding projects across the country that would connect people to their neighbors, communities, and government institutions.
Source:
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
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A Call to Strengthen Democracy by Enlarging the House of Representatives

A publication, The Case for Enlarging the House of Representatives, proposes adding 150 seats to the House of Representatives, followed by regular expansion. Enlarging the House will help restore the connection between the people and “the people’s house” as envisioned by the nation’s founders.
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Developing a Youth Agenda for American Democracy

The Ƶ and Washington University in St. Louis convened more than 50 community leaders, social entrepreneurs, and professionals - between 18 and 29 years old - from across the political spectrum. The participants were united by a commitment to developing a youth agenda for American democracy.
In the News
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Political Polarization, Civility, and Deliberative Democracy: A Conversation with Carolyn Lukensmeyer

Carolyn Lukensmeyer – an expert in deliberative democracy and a member of the Ƶ’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship – describes the historical development of hyper-partisanship in the U.S., the opportunities that innovative political engagement offers, and suggests ways of healing the divides in our country in order to chart a collective path forward.
Source:
Then & Now (podcast)
In the News
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Advice to Leaders on Strengthening Civic Culture & Trust in Government

This summer, the National Ƶ of Public Administration and the Ƶ held panel discussions on Public Governance and Civic Engagement. From these conversations emerged clear recommendations for policymakers to build a stronger civic culture and increase trust in government.
Source:
Federalism.US
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Empathy and Our Future

While many discussions in America are now focused on accountability versus unity, a concept that belongs in conversations about how America can recover from a divisive election, devastating pandemic, and long history of racial injustice is empathy. At a virtual Stated Meeting, Sherry Turkle (MIT) and Eric Liu (Citizen University) joined Ƶ President David Oxtoby in a conversation about what empathy looks like in an increasingly digital world, the search for authentic connections at a time of isolation and disunion, and the role authentic connection can play in repairing our civic culture.
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A Conversation with Architect Jeanne Gang

Jeanne Gang, founding principal and partner of Studio Gang, is known for her forward-looking approach to design. She creates spaces that connect people with each other, their communities, and the environment. Her projects range from cultural centers to public projects that connect citizens with ecology to high-rise towers that foster community. At a virtual Stated Meeting, Jeanne Gang discussed how the design of physical spaces supports social, civic, and democratic infrastructure – a recommendation offered in Our Common Purpose, the final report of the Ƶ’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship.
In the News
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Museums Can Renew America Through the Semiquincentennial

The 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding is approaching, and the opportunities are huge for museums to reframe history and engage their communities more deeply.
Source:
American Alliance of Museums
President Barack Obama's second inaugural address (2013)
In the News
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Joint Series on Public Governance and Civic Engagement

NAPA and the American Ƶ’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship led a four-part series on public governance and civic engagement, covering topics such as civic culture, media, and trust in government.
Source:
National Ƶ of Public Administration (NAPA)
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Our Common Purpose in Communities Across the Country

Since the release in June 2020 of Our Common Purpose: Re­inventing American Democracy for the 21st Century, the final report of the Ƶ’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizen­ship, there have been a number of surprising and inspiring stories about the impact the report has had. From giving the report away as Valentine’s Day presents to ordering a copy for everyone in the city government of Boise, Idaho, Our Common Purpose has been shared, read, downloaded, viewed, and discussed around the country.
In the News
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Cochairs Call for Expansion of U.S. ‘Civic Infrastructure’

Danielle S. Allen and Stephen B. Heintz, cochairs of the Ƶ’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, presented strategies to strengthen civic engagement at a virtual panel co-hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School.
Source:
The Harvard Crimson
In the News
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Danielle Allen on achieving democracy’s ideals

Danielle Allen is a leader of two large-scale efforts to make democracy truly inclusive and reimagine the way we teach new generations of democratic citizens. She joined the Democracy Works podcast to discuss both initiatives, including the Ƶ’s report, “Our Common Purpose,” and how to build coalitions for effective change.
Source:
Democracy Works (podcast)
AmeriCorps volunteers plant shrubs in a vacant lot
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AmeriCorps service nurtures professional development, civic duty

Expanding national service to more young people is one tangible investment we can make in strengthening our republic and the ties that bind us together as a people. This op-ed looks at one of the recommendations from the Our Common Purpose report: to create a universal expectation of national service.
Source:
The Baltimore Sun
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Online

The inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate in the United States, Amanda Gorman, impressed the country and the world when she read her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the inauguration of President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Thousands of people who went online to learn more about her discovered a presentation and reading at the Ƶ on February 7, 2020.
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Telling our Regional Story: The Narratives that Unite and Divide in North Carolina

A challenge facing the United States is how to combine the good and bad of our history into shared narratives. Telling Our Nation’s Story, one of the recommendations of the Ƶ’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, calls for communities to work toward a common narrative by engaging in honest conversations about the past in order to reckon with what divides us while uncovering what unites us. Participants in this virtual program brought a regional approach to a conversation across the Research Triangle.
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Does Meritocracy Destroy the Common Good?

In "The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good?" Michael J. Sandel argues that the divide between winners and losers has poisoned our politics and pulled us apart. The problem, he contends, is not only that we have failed to live up to the meritocratic ideals we profess, but that a meritocratic society is a flawed aspiration. It produces hubris among the successful and humiliation among those left behind. In the first virtual Stated Meeting in the history of the Ƶ, Michael J. Sandel joined T. J. Jackson Lears and Anna Deavere Smith in a conversation about his new book and the destructive consequences of linking socioeconomic status with personal worth.
In the News
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The Ambitious Plan To Save Democracy

In this Moderate Party podcast, host Hillari speaks with Carolyn Lukensmeyer, member of the Ƶ’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, about how to save democracy and what must be done to make it happen.
Source:
Moderate Party (podcast)
In the News
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No More Normal: Our Common Purpose

National Public Radio affiliate KUNM gathered a panel of citizens to discuss and debate the recommendations in Our Common Purpose, the final report of the Ƶ’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship.
Source:
KUNM
A person holds a phone showing the Instagram app icon. | Jeff Chiu/AP
In the News
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To Thrive, Our Democracy Needs Digital Public Infrastructure

It’s time to start building online versions of the libraries, parks and other public spaces that make societies and democracies work, write Eli Pariser and Danielle Allen, cochair of the Ƶ’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship.
Source:
Politico
A poll worker and voter wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during a U.S. primary election.
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Message from Our Common Purpose Cochairs Celebrating Election Workers

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an economic crisis, and a political climate dominated by fear, resentment, and division, the cochairs of the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship find reason to be optimistic about America’s faith in democracy: the civic heroism of our 2020 election workers.
In the News
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Pulling Our Politics Back from the Brink

What would it take to pull American politics out of the fire and make Americans feel, in any real sense, that we are all in this together? Evan Osnos, in The New Yorker, cites the recommendations in Our Common Purpose as a possible path forward.
Source:
The New Yorker
In the News
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Democratic Citizenship at the Chicago Humanities Festival

As part of the Chicago Humanities Festival, members of the Ƶ's Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship Eric Liu, Hahrie Han, and Pete Peterson participated in a panel on the future of democracy.
Source:
Chicago Humanities Festival
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Heintz Joins Panel on Strengthening U.S. Democracy

Stephen Heintz, Co-chair of the American Ƶ's Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, participates in a panel on Strengthening U.S. Democracy hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations.
Source:
Council on Foreign Relations
In the News
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Make the Supreme Court Less Political. Put Term Limits on Justices.

Authors Stephen B. Heintz and Pete Peterson, coming from different sides of the political aisle, agree that term limits for Supreme Court Justices is a way to depoliticize the process and strengthen faith in democratic institutions.
Source:
Real Clear Policy
In the News
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OCT 2020

America’s Plastic Hour Is Upon Us

George Packer, in The Atlantic, considers whether America might now repair our broken democracy by entering an era of major reform - including the Ƶ's recommendations in Our Common Purpose.
Source:
The Atlantic
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Amanpour and Company features Our Common Purpose

Across the aisle from one another, but committed to strengthening democracy together, Eric Liu and Pete Peterson discuss the importance of finding shared ways to move with Michel Martin on Amanpour and Company.
Source:
Amanpour and Company
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A Playbook for Regaining Our Common Purpose

The Ƶ's report on strengthening democracy for 21st century America can be used as a playbook for "how we might regain our footing as citizens to renew the world’s oldest democracy," writes Daniel Stid.
Source:
The Art of Association
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The justices themselves can turn down the heat — by creating their own term limits

In this Washington Post column, Danielle Allen - who cochaired the Ƶ's Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship - proposes that Supreme Court justices "take it upon themselves" to establish term limits, which is a modified approach to a recommendation in the Our Common Purpose report.
Source:
The Washington Post
In the News
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Revitalizing Democracy During COVID-19 and Beyond

Three members of the Ƶ's Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship - Antonia Hernandez, Wallace Jefferson, and Eric Liu - joined the AMA Journal of Ethics for a discussion on how to revitalize democracy during the pandemic and beyond.
Source:
AMA Journal of Ethics
Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century
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Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century

On June 11, 2020, the Ƶ’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship celebrated the release of its final report: Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century. Nearly 1,200 people viewed the launch event, which featured Commission Chairs Danielle Allen (Harvard University), Stephen Heintz (Rockefeller Brothers Fund), and Eric Liu (Citizen University); Ƶ President David Oxtoby; as well as Commission members Judy Woodruff (PBS NewsHour) and David Brooks (The New York Times).
In the News
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Our Towns: Three Guides to the Next America

Ƶ member James Fallows includes Our Common Purpose as one of three developments that shed light on how the parts of America that still work can be applied to the parts that need help most.
Source:
The Atlantic
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WRONG WAY?

Residents of Alabama are asked “Is America headed in the right or wrong direction?” and reporter Tim Lockette wonders if the Ƶ’s recommendations for reinventing democracy could be a way forward.
Source:
Anniston Star (Alabama)
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Commentary: Fixing Democracy

Dee Davis, president of the Center for Rural Strategies, writes about what democracy looks like in rural America - “a mess” - and how to fix it with ideas from the report he worked on as a member of the Ƶ's project on American democracy.
Source:
Daily Yonder
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For Philanthropy to Achieve Its Goals, Democracy Must Work

Stephen Heintz, Cochair of the Ƶ's Commission on Democratic Citizenship, calls for greater philanthropic support for work that strengthens democracy in American democracy. He makes the case that a healthy, functional government advances every other investment.
Source:
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
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Tech companies are finally being shamed into action

Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin writes about increasing concern about online platforms that allow hate speech and engender extremism. She notes that corporate boycotts are a sign of dissatisfaction and points to the Ƶ's work for meaningful solutions.
Source:
The Washington Post
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Why Coronavirus Is an ‘Existential Crisis’ for American Democracy

The coronavirus pandemic is nothing less than an “existential crisis” that will reshape American society, says Danielle Allen, cochair of Ƶ Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship. What needs to happen for America’s civic life to be reborn?
Source:
Politico
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Rebuilding Trust in American Democracy

Danielle Allen featured on BYU Radio about what she learned cochairing the Ƶ's bipartisan Commission on democratic citizenship and how recommended reforms can help Americans increase trust in one another and their institutions.
Source:
BYU Radio
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NPR On Point: Reimagining Democracy for the 21st Century

In this interview with Danielle Allen, NPR's On Point focuses on the Ƶ's new bipartisan recommendations for reimagining American democracy for the 21st century: What are the signs democracy needs fixing? How participatory was the process? Who was consulted in the process? Where do we go from here?
Source:
On Point, National Public Radio
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Etats-Unis : du « besoin urgent » de réinvention

A United States correspondent for Le Monde provides readers in France with some context for the Ƶ's proposals for reinventing American democracy and finds Our Common Purpose noteworthy.
Source:
Le Monde
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Democracy, Citizenship, and Community

To kick off the new "Democracy, Citizenship and Community" series of VISION, host Sam Gill spoke with Stephen Heintz and Antonia Hernandez, all members of the Ƶ's Commission on the practice of Democratic Citizenship.
Source:
VISION | Knight Foundation
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The Work of Democracy Starts Right Here

Bert Emerson, a participant in a listening session in Spokane, wrote a guest column about the nation's greatest challenges and what gives him hope that Americans have the will to fix our democracy.
Source:
The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA)
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We seek reforms to policing. But something even deeper needs repair.

Danielle Allen, who cochairs the Ƶ's bipartisan Commission on democratic citizenship, writes "We need a new social compact." In this column, she writes about why it's time and what it might include - with examples drawn from the Commission's report Our Common Purpose.
Source:
The Washington Post
In the News
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America’s neck is broken. We can survive, but we have to act.

Watching "peaceful protests sweep across the land even amidst a plague" causes Eric Liu, cochair of the Ƶ's Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, to note the strength of spirit and movement he sees even when the nation's neck is broken.
Source:
The Washington Post
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21st Century Democracy in Practice

In early February, the Ƶ welcomed Americans from around the nation for a day-long convening on the practice of democratic citizenship. The event was a culmination of the extensive grassroots outreach and listening sessions that have been a hallmark of the work of the Ƶ’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship.
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Civic Engagement During COVID-19: How Commission Members are Making a Difference

For the past two years, members of the Ƶ’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship have engaged in research, round tables, and discussions about strengthening American democracy in the 21st century. Now, as the impact of COVID-19 surges through every aspect of American society, Commission members are applying their expertise in public policy and civic and political engagement to meet and understand critical challenges at the local and national levels.
In the News
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Get the Government You Want By Getting Involved

Luis Farias, a participant at the American Ƶ's Convening on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, reflects on the discussions there and how they can be applied to the Latino community in the U.S.
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In the News
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What Makes a True Patriot

“True patriotism doesn’t require that we all join the military,” says Eric Liu, cochair of Ƶ Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship. “It does require us all to show up more, contribute more, participate more, be more useful to more people.”
Source:
CBS News
Bulletin
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How to Make Citizens

Eric Liu, cochair of the Ƶ's Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, speaks about how to prepare citizens in a democracy.
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Publication Launch
Habits of Heart and Mind, a guide to fortifying civic culture, was launched at an event featuring Ben Klutsey, Eric Liu, and Natalie Tran in conversation with incoming Ƶ president Laurie Patton. The event and publication are online.
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Bridging Divides in America

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Empathy and Our Future

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