There was great progress on democracy renovation this month. The project of reinventing American democracy for the 21st century is strong because of the continued engagement of civic catalysts like you. Thank you for being on this journey with us in 2023. We wish you a happy and healthy 2024.
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There was great progress on democracy renovation this month. The Council of State Governments hosted a discussion with Steven Olikara and Norman Ornstein on strengthening American Democracy. RepresentUS released a new report ([link removed]) highlighting the progress on and obstacles to election and voting reform. Leadership Now published a risk analysis ([link removed]) with actionable steps for businesses to counter the risk of democratic instability. And, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill ([link removed]) that will automatically register to vote people who completed their felony sentence. The project of reinventing American
democracy for the 21st century is strong because of the continued engagement of civic catalysts like you. Thank you for being on this journey with us
in 2023. We wish you a happy and healthy 2024.
** OCP Featured at CSG National Conference
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On December 7, Commission members Steven Olikara and Norman Ornstein led a standing-room-only discussion on strengthening democracy at the Council of State Governments’ annual conference ([link removed]) in Raleigh, NC. They underscored the importance of expanding national service, reforming campaign finance laws, expanding the size of the House of Representatives, and strengthening civic culture.
** Stories From The Field
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** Educating for Global Democracy Workshop.
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From December 7-8, History Co:Lab and World Savvy convened education leaders, practitioners, and activists at the House of the Academy in Cambridge, MA. Participants examined the Roadmap for Educating for American Democracy ([link removed]) , an inquiry-based content framework for K-12 history and civics to develop competencies and learning experiences related to the practice of global democracy.
** Report on the Progress and Obstacles for Pro-Democracy Movement.
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RepresentUS released a first-of-its-kind report ([link removed]) to show both the progress and obstacles the pro-democracy movement encountered in 2023.
** Service Year Alliance CEO on the Benefits of Service.
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Kristen Bennett, CEO of Service Year Alliance, writes about the immense benefits ([link removed]) of service years for young people and how a year of service can pave the way to career opportunities.
** Implications of U.S. Political Risk for Business.
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Leadership Now released a new risk analysis ([link removed]) with actionable steps for businesses to counter the risk of democratic instability ahead of the 2024 elections.
** Senate's View on Supreme Court Term Limits.
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Fix the Court’s guide ([link removed]) tracks Senators’ positions on Supreme Court Term Limits.
** Ways to Rebuild Civic Faith.
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Citizen University’s Civic Saturday Fellows offer best practices ([link removed]) for hosting civic gatherings.
** RCV and Representation Toolkit.
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RepresentWomen’s toolkit ([link removed]) equips individuals and organizations with tools to communicate about the benefits of RCV for representation.
** Philanthropy for Voter Engagement Toolkit.
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The second edition of Nonprofit VOTE’s Philanthropy for Voter Engagement toolkit ([link removed]) includes tips, best practices, and case studies for foundations to promote voter engagement.
** In The News
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** Danielle Allen: Build a Campus Culture Conducive to Civil Discourse.
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Colleges and Universities should not just protect students’ speech rights but also insist that they exercise those rights in accordance with campus norms for a culture of mutual respect, writes Danielle Allen in The Washington Post ([link removed]) .
** Michigan to Automatically Register Ex-prisoners to Vote.
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Michigan will become ([link removed]) the first state in the country to automatically register people to vote as they leave prison. Our Common Purpose recommended restoring federal and state voting rights to citizens with felony convictions immediately upon their release from prison.
** Solutions to America's Civics Crisis.
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Thomas Kelly, Vice President of civic initiatives at the Jack Miller Center, recaps takeaways ([link removed]) from the second annual National Summit on Civic Education.
** Introduce Proportional Representation to Fix Congress.
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A growing body of election reformers say proportional representation could help temper the rise of political extremism, among other benefits ([link removed]) .
** Ranked Choice Voting Can Heal Partisan Divides.
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NPR assesses the impact of RCV ([link removed]) on election outcomes and political polarization.
** Colorado Gov. Endorses Ranked Choice Voting.
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Governor Jared Polis endorsed RCV ([link removed]) after it was used in his hometown of Boulder for the first time.
** Get Involved
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** Job Opening: Director, More in Common US.
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More in Common is accepting applications ([link removed]) for a new Director to help shape and advance the next phase of its growth and impact in the United States.
** New America National Fellows Program.
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Apply to the 2025 Class of New America National Fellows ([link removed]) to develop your next big idea. Deadline: February 1, 2024.
** CivXNow's Teacher Advocacy Project.
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Apply to CivXNow’s Teacher Advocacy Project (TAP) ([link removed]) , a grassroots network of educators trained to advocate for the civic mission of schools.
** Read the Report
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Learn more about the Academy's current efforts to advance reforms to reinvent American democracy and read the Our Common Purpose report here ([link removed]) .
Read the Report ([link removed])
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