November Newsletter: Our Common Purpose
By Zachey Kliger | zachey.kliger@gmail.com | November 25, 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 November.
Reinventing Democracy: How Hometowns are Strengthening America
On 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.
DATE: December 7-9, 2022 from 11:30AM – 4:00 PM EST | Register here
Post-Election Democracy Roundup
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.
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 article here.
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.
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.
Let the House Grow: Danielle Allen argues for enlarging the House in the Harvard Gazette
In the Harvard Gazette, Danielle Allen, cochair 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.
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
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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