June Newsletter: Our Common Purpose
By Zachey Kliger | zachey.kliger@gmail.com | June 30, 2023
Between 2018-2020, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences convened a bipartisan commission to study the state of American democracy and determine 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 offers 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 newsletter highlighting relevant news and key developments in the implementation of these 31 recommendations. Below are highlights from June.
Higher Education's Role in Promoting Constitutional Democracy
The annual Higher Education Forum took place in Aspen, CO on June 12-15, which convened leaders from the Academy’s Affiliate institutions and other key college and university stakeholders to discuss the role of higher education in protecting, supporting, and reimagining American democracy. As one of the featured speakers, Ben Vinson, President of Howard University and co-chair of the Academy’s working group on Building Democratic Citizens in Higher Education, shared the Academy’s efforts in advancing democratic citizenship at colleges and universities across the country. Listen to Ben Vinson’s remarks here.
In the News
NYT: The Supreme Court Finally Strikes the Right Balance on Voting Rights.
David French argues that the Supreme Court’s ruling in Allen v. Milligan, which struck down an Alabama redistricting map, was an acknowledgement that the nation has yet to fully address its legacy of racism. The first strategy of Our Common Purpose focuses on achieving equality of voice and representation and proposes measures aimed at limiting gerrymandering. Read the op-ed here.
NPR: A Citizen Journalist in Alabama steps in to serve a news desert.
A citizen journalist in a small Alabama town took matters into their own hands to hold local government to account. Read the full story here. Strategy 5 of Our Common Purpose calls for supporting local and regional investigative journalism.
PBS: What’s Driving America’s Partisan Divide?
As part of her new series, America at a Crossroads, Academy Member and member of the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship Judy Woodruff profiles people who are working to reverse America’s dramatic rise in partisan animosity. Learn more about the new series here.
Good to Know
AmeriCorps and Service Year Alliance Announce Partnership to Fuel Social Cohesion.
Service Year Alliance and AmeriCorps announced a multi-year partnership to identify and scale effective solutions to building bridges through service. Read about the new partnership here. Our Common Purpose calls for expanding civic bridging capacity and establishing a universal expectation of service.
New Pluralists Launches Grant Program to Support Local Leaders Addressing Polarization.
New Pluralists, an OCP champion organization, announced a $10 million grant to support local leaders, networks, and community groups who are addressing divisive forces in their neighborhoods. Read about the powerful work these local leaders are doing to advance pluralism in their communities. Strategy 4 of Our Common Purpose focuses on supporting civic leaders and building civic bridging capacity.
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