Virtual Event: Reinventing Democracy: How Hometowns are Strengthening America
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December 7-9, 2022, the Academy will host a special event to bring together mayors, city councilors, select board members, city and town managers, county executives, and other local civic leaders from across the country for a three-day virtual symposium to learn about pragmatic approaches to reforms like ranked-choice voting, participatory governance, clean elections laws, civic education, and more. Register for this event here.
The event will feature keynote speakers, Judy Woodruff of PBS News and Eric Liu of Citizen University, as well as panels of subject-matter experts and elected leaders with practical experience working on these initiatives. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the inspiring work being done by Our Common Purpose champion organizations across the country and build connections with other local leaders working to reinvent American democracy from the ground up. For more information about this event, please email [email protected].
DATE: December 7-9, 2022 from 11:30AM – 5:00 PM EST | Register here
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Post-Election Democracy Roundup
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Democracy was a Big Winner in the Midterms
Jon Cohen and Morgan Jacobs offer a recap of key victories for Our Common Purpose recommendations. In state and local referenda across the country, voters approved measures to expand ranked-choice voting, increase access to the ballot through early in-person voting, and improve transparency around election funding. Read the full article here.
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NPR: Growing Popularity of Ranked Choice Voting
Jessica Taylor of the Cook Political Report breaks down the role of ranked choice voting in overcoming partisanship in politics and discusses ballot initiative reforms in Alaska, Maine, and Nevada to introduce ranked choice voting in their Congressional elections. Read the full article here.
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Bipartisan Policy Center 2022 Elections Summit
On December 6, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Elections Project is hosting a day-long summit to kick off the election community’s collective work learning from 2022 and preparing for 2023 and 2024. BPC’s 2022 Elections Summit will feature six panel discussions with elected leaders and foremost experts, moderated by journalists on the frontlines of democracy, voting, and election issues.
Register to attend this event in-person here. Register to attend online here.
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USA Today: We're more united than we seem
In a USA Today op-ed, Nealin Parker, Executive Director of Common Ground USA, argues that we are more united than we seem, and that each of us can take practical steps in our own lives to help preserve democracy. Parker recommends thanking your polling workers and celebrating the peaceful transfer of power, even if you are mourning your candidate’s loss, among other suggestions. Read the full op-ed here.
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Harvard Gazette: Let the House grow!
In the Harvard Gazette, Danielle Allen, co-chair of the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, makes the case for enlarging the House of Representatives: “I believe it’s time to let Congress grow again so that it can meaningfully shift in shape with the population,” Allen writes. The first recommendation of Our Common Purpose calls for enlarging the House of Representatives. Read the full op-ed here.
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Virtual Event: INFORMED: Conversations on Democracy in the Digital Age
Presented by Knight Foundation, INFORMED brings together key leaders and experts to engage around the biggest questions at the intersection of technology, media, and democracy. This gathering will be an important opportunity for policymakers, researchers, and the private sector to discuss the latest trends and research in this emerging field, while strengthening relationships that lead to more informed policy in the public interest.
DATE: November 28-30, 2022 | Register here
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Grant Opportunity: Bridging Divides and Strengthening Democracy
The Strengthening Democracy Challenge, a joint project organized by social scientists from Stanford University, MIT, Northwestern University, and Columbia University to crowdsource and identify short, scalable interventions to reduce anti-democratic attitudes, announced a call for proposals for Bridging Divides & Strengthening Democracy Field Test Grants. Grants of up to $50,000 will be allocated on a competitive basis to new or existing teams of practitioners and researchers.
Grant proposals are due by January 13, 2023. Learn more about the Strengthening Democracy Challenge and the grant opportunity here.
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Apply Now: MyImpact Civic Engagement Challenge
The Bill of Rights Institute, a Virginia-based nonprofit organization that promotes civics education, is calling on students ages 13-19 to submit proposals for the MyImpact Challenge, a civic engagement contest intended to foster a robust understanding of citizenship. The Bill of Rights Institute will reward students cash prizes, including a $10,000 grand prize. The deadline for submissions is May 21, 2023.
Learn more about how to apply here.
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Finally, this year, we are thankful for all of you who work to protect American democracy in big and small ways every day. Thank you! We wish you a happy and healthy holiday.
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