Search
Civic Engagement
In this excerpt from Separation of Powers, Cass Sunstein explains how the U.S. Constitution prevents such a concentration of authority from turning democracy into despotism.
Disconnection is not a personal failure, but a systems challenge — and an opportunity for employers to strengthen our social fabric.
In “Rewiring Democracy,” Bruce Schneier and Nathan Sanders explore how AI could strengthen democracy or undermine it.
Jennifer Pahlka, author and Code for America founder, on what comes after Elon Musk’s failed attempt at government efficiency — and how we can modernize federal agencies to improve people’s lives.
Aaron Hurst — founder and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Connection — offers a bold new vision for community service.
Governance scholar and University of Pittsburgh professor Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, Ph.D. on the forces that decide whether conflicted nations unify or unravel.
John Templeton Foundation
In "We the People," Harvard historian Jill Lepore examines how the U.S. Constitution became unamendable and its implications for the health of the democracy.
This is my country and this is what we stand for. At least for now.
An atheist's case for why American democracy needs a more Christlike Christianity.
The electoral reform also known as instant-runoff voting promises bridge-building and broad appeal instead of culture war and gridlock.
It's a problem on both sides of the political divide.
In today’s political climate, how can we come together and seek some common ground or understanding? What are the mechanics of doing that? Is there some script or set of […]
Famed activist Bayard Rustin constantly faced the dilemma of coordinating collective pursuits among diverse groups of people.
Author A.J. Jacobs explores how voting has changed since the days of the Founding Fathers — for better and for worse.
Throughout the world, traditional political organizations are increasingly seen as dysfunctional. But can democracies live without them?
Archaeologist Bernard Frischer spent decades uploading the ruins of the Eternal City to the cloud. Here’s what it looks like.
How much do citizens really value free elections?
In the 1960s, politicians and bureaucrats were formulating the Central Arizona Project. Citizens fought back.
Predictive power has perverse, anti-democratic consequences. So be a good citizen and lie to election pollsters.
Estonia has long been seen as a pioneer in digitizing the democratic process.
How to separate the reality from the conspiracy theory.
The Athenian rich paid their taxes because they craved the social success of being perceived as "useful."
Airports are like mini-cities: they have places of worship, policing, hotels, fine dining, shopping, and mass transit.
What began as public outcry against Iran’s so-called morality police has snowballed into a mass movement targeting the very essence of the Islamic republic.
About the project The goal of driving more progress across the world—scientifically, politically, economically, socially, etc—is one shared by many. And yet, debates about the best way to maximize progress […]
Democracy is in decline, regardless of how we measure it.
For such a near-universal concept, the definition of "heroism" is difficult to pin down.
Washington believed that particular Thanksgiving in 1789 was a crucial occasion.
Well-lit cities and towns are essential to public safety. That doesn’t have to ruin the night sky. For most of us here on planet Earth, navigating the world at night is […]