Note from Our Common Purpose Cochairs

Across the left and right, Americans say our political system needs fundamental renovation. But the first weeks of the current Trump administration have put our constitutional democracy to the test. Through executive orders and actions, the new administration has bypassed Congress’s power of the purse and pushed the boundaries of executive power, challenging the foundations of the American system of government.  

When we released Our Common Purpose nearly five years ago, we envisioned a healthy constitutional democracy in which responsive political institutions foster a healthy civic culture of participation and responsibility, while a healthy civic culture keeps our political institutions responsive and inclusive. In the current climate of crisis, that vision may seem far off. But it is never in fact out of reach.  

Being on the cusp of a crisis need not mean that we are at a point of no return. Crises can be averted and diverted. And even should they arrive, they can be mitigated, both through the countervailing powers of our constitutional system and through a robust civic culture that fosters the free exchange of ideas, cultivates the habits of service to one another, motivates civic engagement, and fosters a common purpose for us all. A constitutional democracy is all of us. We the people are the source of its legitimacy. 

Now more than ever, then, it is essential to double down on the civic faith and the spirit of responsibility that animate self-government in America. Civic life can be broken from the top but can only be repaired from the ground up. This is slow work, at the tempo not of shock and awe but of trust. It is the work of all of us, owned by no single organization, institution, or individual. It is local before it is national. It is relational before it is conceptual. It requires a grounding in our history and in our founding principles and a commitment to loving our neighbor and our country.  

Friends and champions, these are dizzying and disorienting times. Let’s keep doing the good work to fortify our civic culture and our political institutions. Let’s look out for one another. And let’s stay in this work, together. 

- Danielle Allen, Stephen Heintz, Eric Liu 

Looking for ways to stay informed and engaged? 

• Eric Liu offers a framework for responding to the current moment that he refers to as the five P’s: Patterns, perspective, people, place, and power. 

• The American Society of Public Administration has started a 3x/week newsletter, available to current and former ASPA members, with up-to-date news and analysis of changes in Washington. 

• The Federal News Network and Government Executive continue to provide regular reporting focused on federal agencies and the business of Washington. 

• Civic Match by Work for America is connecting federal workers and campaign staff with meaningful roles in state and local governments across the country.   

• People interested in supporting local news should learn more about Press Forward, which continues to fund local newsrooms. Search for outlets in your area here. And learn how you can partner with American Press Institute to support community-based news here. 

• Share this newsletter with your network. This link can be used to sign-up.

Stories from the Field

Institute for Citizens & Scholars Launches Youth Leadership Program.

Carnegie Young Leaders for Civic Preparedness is looking for young people between the ages of 14 and 24 who are ready to step up, bridge divides, and tackle pressing issues in their communities. In 2025, 500 young civic changemakers from across the country will form 100 teams to lead community projects. Applications are open through May 28.

FairVote Releases Ranked Choice Voting Report.

OCP Champion FairVote published a comprehensive year-in-review report that provides an overview of RCV in 2024, including RCV elections, ballot measures, legislative progress, case studies, and new research. 

Data for Progress: Citizen Assemblies are a Vital Tool for Democracy.

Catherine Fraser, senior associate at Data for Progress, explains how citizen assemblies can restore faith in democracy and remind us of our common humanity and decency. A recent article in The New Yorker explored how one Oregon county used a citizen assembly to devise solutions for youth homelessness.

Jen Daulby: Authentic Advocacy will Cut Through the Noise.

In an op-ed for The Fulcrum, Congressional Management Foundation CEO Jen Daulby urges policy advocates to rethink their strategies, focusing on genuine, relatable stories to drive impact. 

James Coan of More Like Us on Scaling Bridging Efforts.

In the latest episode of This is Civity, a podcast from OCP Champion Civity, James Coan, co-founder and executive director of More Like US, discusses how organizations can increase the scale of their bridging efforts.

New Hampshire State House tries Experiment to Find Common Ground.

Braver Angels facilitated a workshop with 90 New Hampshire state legislators to help them move from personal attacks to understanding. The results were encouraging.

Food, Community, Democracy: Maine Historical Society Forges Community Bonds through Food.

Putting into practice lessons from Habits of Heart and Mind, the Mount Desert Island Historical Society held its 14th annual Baked Bean Supper, a community gathering which brought together 150 Bar Harbor residents for food and educational programming. The program featured a discussion with College of the Atlantic President Sylvia Torti and Dr. Bill Horner on the importance of civic engagement to a healthy democracy and previewed the film “Join or Die”.

In The News

Yuval Levin: Constitutionalism more Important than Public Policy in this Moment.

Our Common Purpose Commission member Yuval Levin spoke with Ezra Klein about Trump’s first few weeks in office, the limits of presidential power, and the importance of remaining faithful to the Constitution. Listen to the conversation here.

The Equation: We Can think Bigger about Democracy.

Citing the Academy’s Enlarging the House report, Liza Gordon-Rogers analyzes recent legislation introduced by Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) and Jared Golden (ME-02) 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.

Carnegie Hall to Celebrate America's 250th in 2025-26 Programming.

Carnegie Hall will devote much of its 2025-26 season to celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States through a citywide festival featuring genres including jazz, rock, hip-hop, musical theater and classical music. The Academy continues to work with national, state, and local organizations planning to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary in July 2026.

National Progress Report Highlights Concerning Trends in Citizenship and Democracy.

A new report released by The State of the Nation Project, a bipartisan collaboration of former appointees and advisors from the past five presidential administrations, revealed a decline in Americans’ belief in democracy.

Get Involved

iCivics to Host Civic Learning Week.

On March 10-14, OCP champion iCivics will host the third annual Civic Learning Week, which will feature hundreds of events on the importance of civic education to strengthening constitutional democracy, including a virtual youth roundtable hosted by OCP Champion Generation Citizen. 

Call for Proposals: 2025 National Humanities Conference.

The Federation of State Humanities Councils and The National Humanities Alliance are accepting proposals for the 2025 National Humanities Conference, taking place November 12-16 in Detroit, Michigan. The deadline to submit a proposal is April 10.

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