December Newsletter: Our Common Purpose
By Zachey Kliger | zachey.kliger@gmail.com | December 24, 2022
Between 2018-2020, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences convened a bipartisan commission to study the state of American democracy, and engage with communities across the U.S. to explore how best to respond to the weaknesses and vulnerabilities in our political and civic life. The Commission’s two-year effort culminated in 2020 with the release of Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century, a report that presents 31 recommendations to make American democracy more resilient. Now, the Academy is partnering with a number of grassroots organizations to advance these reforms, and has set an ambitious goal of implementing all 31 recommendations by 2026, the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding.
Each month, my team at the Academy produces a monthly newsletter which highlights key developments in the implementation of these 31 recommendations. Below are highlights from December.
Academy Launches Our Common Purpose Communities Project at Conference for Local Leaders
On December 7-9, 2022, the Academy hosted a virtual conference for local leaders, Reinventing Democracy: How Hometowns are Strengthening America. Over 200 local leaders from 43 states attended the conference, which featured panels on ranked-choice voting, participatory governance, clean elections laws and civic education, and keynotes from Judy Woodruff of PBS News and Eric Liu of Citizen University. Recordings of all the sessions from the event are available here.
At the conference, the Academy announced the launch of the Our Common Purpose Communities Project, a national coalition of municipalities committed to strengthening American democracy. Lexington, Kentucky, will be the first city in the nation to join this effort and help lead this grassroots charge. If you want your community to join this effort, please email the Academy team at ourcommonpurpose@amacad.org.
In the News
NPR: More than 8 in 10 Americans believe the U.S. faces a threat to democracy
December 15, 2022 – The final NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll of 2022 revealed that eight out of ten Americans believe the U.S. faces a threat to democracy. According to the poll, Democrats see that threat coming from election denialism and far-right populism, while conservatives view Democrats as the threat. Experts say that this division itself is a threat. Strategy 4 of Our Common Purpose calls for expanding civic bridging capacity to promote social and civic interaction, and Strategy 6 of the report calls for inspiring a culture of commitment to constitutional democracy and one another.
Read an analysis of the poll here. Check out the Our Common Purpose report here.
House Committee on Economic Disparity & Fairness in Growth Publishes New Report on Building an Economy that Works for All
The House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth, established in 2021 to “shine a light on the ways modern wealth disparities slow our economy, poison our politics, and offend our moral sensibilities”, published its final report, Bridging the Divide: Building an Economy That Works for All. The report presents recommendations to invest in individuals, build and support communities, and dismantle structural barriers hindering opportunity and growth. The Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship identified economic inequality as a significant obstacle in the effort to create a more resilient constitutional democracy.
Read the full report here.
Good to Know
Join the Civic Season Movement
Next summer, Juneteenth-July 4th, 2023, join hundreds of cultural institutions, community organizations, nonprofits and state and local governments for the second Civic Season. Made By Us, a coalition of 150+ museums, historic sites and historical societies, launched Civic Season this year to highlight the gap between our nation’s promises and practices. Between the powerful markers of Juneteenth and July 4th, Civic Season celebrates and fortifies our democracy with hundreds of events and activities that help us each explore what we stand for, learn, and take action. Participating next summer is one way to be sure your community is part of the conversation. Be sure to save the date!
Learn more at TheCivicSeason.com, and register here to receive information!
Making History at 250: The Field Guide for the Semiquincentennial
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding in 2026, the American Association for State and Local History, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities, has released a comprehensive guide to help history professionals and citizens prepare to commemorate the anniversary.
“We should approach the 250th anniversary with a shared commitment to the common cause of an inclusive, democratic society,” writes John R. Dichtl, President & CEO of AASLH. Recommendation 6.2 of Our Common Purpose calls for the creation of a Telling Our Nation’s Story initiative, led by civil society organizations, to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Check out the complete AASLH field guide here.
Happy Holidays!
Finally, we want to wish you a joyous holiday season, and a happy and healthy new year. Thank you to everyone in the Our Common Purpose community for working to strengthen American democracy in big ways and small, and we look forward to continuing this effort in the new year!
Thanks for checking out this month’s newsletter!
For more, read the full Our Common Purpose report here. Interested in a hard copy? Order one here.
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