These are indeed scary times for our Democracy in the U.S., and things will not get better if all of us who see what is going down give in to fear. There ARE things we can and must do.
Governing
A journalist and her husband left San Francisco and headed east to take over the 530-acre family farm.
Filibusters do occur in some state legislatures, but they rarely succeed in blocking legislation. Unlike the U.S. Senate, most state legislatures still operate on the Founders’ majoritarian principles.
Against all odds, election officials delivered a safe and secure election during a public health crisis. But a year later, they are looking for innovative ways to restore public trust in their work.
Before the pandemic, Marin County had the lowest vaccination rates in California. Now, more than 90 percent of its adults are protected against COVID-19.
The Constitution meant for Congress to pass bills by a simple majority. But the process has changed over the decades, turning the Senate’s filibuster tool into a major obstacle that can only be fixed by reform.
Facebook and its big tech ilk bombard us with vitriolic content, and their algorithms help to divide Americans. Local-government leaders need to keep this in mind when they offer up incentives to attract their operations.
Demand for homeless services is increasing. Scores of communities are finding that when providers work in teams and use better data and systems, they can solve the problem person by person.
Five cities are leading the way with manufacturing programs to nurture these homegrown entrepreneurs and fill storefronts emptied by the pandemic.
Mathematicians, social scientists, lawyers and programmers have led the development of a new generation of free tools to make and evaluate redistricting maps. Can they make the process more transparent?
Intentional or not, disinformation propagating on the Internet threatens democratic institutions and the public good. Emerging tech tools aim to help government combat the threat.
Victories in local and legislative elections show that Progressives' ideas resonate with a lot of voters, reflecting yearnings among much of the electorate for policies that enjoy broad support.
Over-reliance on fees, fines and forfeitures drives a wedge between police and the communities they serve. It's detrimental to both crime-solving and the profession of law enforcement.
Ongoing efforts to find election irregularities might serve the ambitions of some in politics, but they aren’t viewed favorably by many Americans. A new report documents the spread of unconventional “audits” to new states.
Dissatisfied voters targeted election officials in 2020. Accustomed to working behind the scenes, many were cast as villains and now fear for their personal and professional safety.