After a busy season in which elections were administered peacefully and with integrity, Our Common Purpose remains as important as ever. Responsive political institutions, a healthy civic culture of participation and responsibility, and a vibrant civil society all depend on one another and instill faith in our constitutional democracy. This month’s newsletter shares reflections from leaders in the democracy field, opportunities to connect with others, and links to videos of recent Academy events on civic culture and economic connectedness.

Academy Hosts Event on Fortifying Healthy Civic Culture

On October 28, the Academy hosted a panel event on the what, why, and how of civic culture in America. It featured Ben Klutsey (Mercatus Center at George Mason University), Eric Liu (Citizen University), and Natalie Tran (Creative Artists Agency Foundation) in a conversation led by incoming Academy president Laurie Patton. The event spotlighted concepts and case studies from Habits of Heart and Mind: How to Fortify Civic Culture, a new Academy resource for repairing and strengthening civic culture in America.

Academy Project Seeks to Bridge Economic Divide

On September 12, the Academy hosted "Economic Connectedness: Building Relationships that Expand Opportunity." Panelists discussed why relationships between people of different socioeconomic statuses matter for our economy and democracy and offered suggestions for how to foster these connections.

The event was part of the Academy’s cross-partisan, multi-disciplinary Commission on Reimagining Our Economy (CORE), which recognized economic connectedness as a vital tool to build a people-first economy. In addition, you can learn more about American’s wellbeing through the CORE Score, a county level dashboard of American wellbeing, and Faces of America: Getting by in our economy, a photojournal that captures life in the twenty-first-century American economy. 

Election 2024

Our Common Purpose Champions, Commission members and democracy reform leaders shared reflections following the 2024 U.S. Election. Some of those include:

• The National Steering Committee for Trusted Elections and the National Council on Election Integrity released post-election statements 

• Commission member Yuval Levin assessed what Trump’s win does and does not mean 

• Commission member Judy Woodruff spoke with voters about what factored into their decision 

• Commission member David Brooks examined the role that class played in the Election 

Ballot initiatives and structural renovation

Across states and municipalities, citizens voted on numerous ballot initiatives related to Our Common Purpose recommendations. Some results are being finalized. 

Ranked Choice Voting 

• Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Missouri rejected ranked choice voting ballot measures 

• In Alaska, a ballot measure that would have repealed the state’s ranked choice voting and open primary system narrowly failed, preserving the current system of RCV and open primary system 

• RCV passed in cities and the District of Columbia. Voters in Washington, DC, Bloomington, MN, Oak Park, IL, Peoria, IL, and Richmond, CA approved RCV measures 

• OCP Champions FairVote and Rank the Vote wrote about the results 

Citizen-redistricting Commissions 

• Voters in Ohio rejected a constitutional amendment that would have established a citizen-led redistricting commission 

• To date, 8 states – Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, New York, and Washington – use independent redistricting commissions to draw congressional districts and state legislative maps 

Election Contributions 

• Voters in Maine approved a ballot measure to impose a $5,000 limit on campaign contributions to political action committees 

• Voters in Florida rejected a constitutional amendment to repeal the state’s public campaign finance program 

Voting 

• Voters in Iowa approved a constitutional amendment that requires citizenship to vote and allows 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections 

Stories From The Field

National Civic League Releases Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map.

The National Civic League launched a Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map, the first comprehensive database of organizations promoting healthy democracy in America. Writing in The Washington Post, Danielle Allen explains the promise of this new tool. 

Service Year Alliance Urges Next Presidential Administration, Congress to Build Foundation for National Service.

Service Year Alliance released policy recommendations for the next U.S. presidential administration, elected officials, and policymakers that advance our vision to make national service a part of growing up in America.

In The News

Legislation Introduced to Establish Bipartisan Committee to Examine Democracy Reforms.

U.S. Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) and Jared Golden (ME-02) introduced the Electoral Reform Select Committee Act, which would convene a bipartisan group of lawmakers to consider several Our Common Purpose recommendations, such as multi-member districts with proportional representation, expanding the House, and independent redistricting commissions. Scholars for Electoral Reform wrote a letter to congress supporting the proposed committee.

Opinion: Expanding Size of the House would Make Congress More Responsive to Voters.

Responding to the proposal from Reps. Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) and Golden (ME-02) to establish a bipartisan task force to consider House reforms, Ryan Teague Beckwith explains the benefits to expanding the size of the House.

New Initiative Aims to Build a Culture of Connection.

Project Gather, a new private initiative inspired by the surgeon general’s warning of a growing loneliness epidemic, will begin organizing nationwide communal events designed to get Americans to eat together.

Opinion: Philanthropy is Uniquely Positioned to Strengthen Civic Culture.

Citing the Academy’s civic culture initiative, Daniel Stid argues that grant makers concerned about the health of democracy following the 2024 election should focus on long-term investments in civic culture and infrastructure.

Get Involved

Your Next Beat: Civic Culture.

Citizen University will convene a webinar for journalists, storytellers, and content creators who are interested in amplifying stories of everyday Americans who are changing the culture of their communities towards connection and repair. Learn practical recommendations from storytelling and messaging experts to help our country heal divisions.

DATE: December 9, 2024 | 1:00–2:15 pm ET | Register Here

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