Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Harnessing the power of 'we the people' on Independence Day

Flags in front of the Capitol
Bloomberg Creative/Getty Images

Spinelle is the communications specialist for the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State and host of the podcasts “ When the People Decide ” and “ Democracy Works.”

Democracy does not have a singular definition, which is one of the things that makes it so interesting to me — and undoubtedly to many of you.

I don’t have a Ph.D. in political science, but I have done nearly hundreds of interviews with people about democracy in some form or another. During that time, I developed a working definition: Democracy is about the allocation of power among people. Yes, there are norms, institutions and processes. But power is at the heart of it all.

Ballot initiatives are one way for citizens in more than 20 states to harness that power. In my new podcast series, “ When the People Decide,” I explore how people have used the ballot initiative to bring issues they care deeply about directly to their fellow voters and push for political change on their own terms.


Citizen-led initiatives are not perfect. The process is cumbersome and confusing, and is often initiated or taken over by moneyed interests, leaving the public interest in the dust. But despite their flaws and shortcomings, I’m still bullish.

Initiatives offer the chance for regular people to break through the gridlock that plagues so much of politics and to deliver solutions. They can help us fix what’s broken in American democracy and create meaningful political reform

In the past decade, initiatives have been used to legalize marijuana, expand access to Medicaid, raise the minimum wage, restore voting rights, implement ranked-choice voting and open primaries, among many other reforms. Often, these wins come in places you wouldn’t expect — traditionally “red” states like Idaho, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

If organizations like the Fairness Project and the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center have anything to do with it, ballot initiatives will be an even bigger part of American democracy in the future. These organizations are helping citizens advance their ballot measure campaigns and working to defend the initiative process itself.

As you might imagine, state legislatures are not pleased when people go around them, especially when it’s to pass “progressive” issues. So, what do they do? They try to make it more difficult for citizens to use the initiative process by increasing signature requirements or changing the vote threshold from a simple majority to a supermajority.

This story is starting to receive national attention thanks to an investment from Democracy Docket in the Ballot Measure Rescue Campaign, and last month South Dakota voters rejected an effor t by the legislature to amend the state’s Constitution in a way that would limit the ballot initiative.

Not only do ballot measures lead to meaningful policy change and democracy reform, but they can also create new political coalitions among organizers and volunteers who come together to support a shared interest. I heard this sentiment over and over again from the people interviewed, from people working for LGBTQ rights in Cincinnati to ending closed adoptions in Oregon.

There’s a lot of talk these days about finding common ground in politics, but after reporting this series, I think that finding common cause is the real key to breaking through the gridlock.

It’s one thing to fire off an angry social media post about how the system is broken or politicians are corrupt. But it’s something else entirely to decide to do something about it. That’s what our founders did nearly 250 years ago, and that’s what modern-day organizers across the country continue to do, something well worth remembering as we celebrate Independence Day.

Ballot initiatives offer a way to move beyond the stasis that can sometimes bog down politics and lead to resentment and frustration. Again, let me be clear that they’re not perfect, but they do represent a path forward and a bit of optimism in a political landscape that can seem pretty gloomy at times.

There are so many more stories I could tell, and perhaps will, about what happens when people decide to take an active role in our democracy. If you have ideas for people or campaigns to feature, I would love to hear them!

Read More

Can AI Fill the Silence for Aging-Abroad Seniors?
man and woman walking on road during daytime

Can AI Fill the Silence for Aging-Abroad Seniors?

Since 2023, 30.8% of King County households have reported speaking a foreign language other than English at home. The demographic shift indicates that residents aged 65 and older are projected to increase by 85% between 2020 and 2035, according to Age Friendly Seattle.

Among them, a growing number are immigrants with limited English proficiency, often isolated from digital tools and access to public services.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump and Elon Musk
President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk sit ringside at a UFC fight in November.
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

With Billions of Dollars Controlling American Politics, the Government Will Never Be for the People

The Fulcrum is committed to nurturing the next generation of journalists. To learn about the many NextGen initiatives we are leading, click HERE.

We asked Jared Tucker, a student at the University of Washington and a cohort member with the Fulcrum Fellowship, to share his thoughts on what democracy means to him and his perspective on its current health.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elbows Up, Arms Crossed
people gathering near green trees during daytime
Photo by Malu Laker on Unsplash

Elbows Up, Arms Crossed

Last month, 23andMe announced it was filing for bankruptcy, and dozens of states are suing to stop the company from selling off personal data. Yet, unlike for-profit businesses, lawyers in nonprofit organizations cannot just stop representing clients when funding ends. We continue the representation until the matter is concluded. This is a quagmire; immigration cases such as a U Visa can take 30 years to process from start to finish.

We also have a duty of confidentiality of information. This means that we cannot disclose information about representation. I remember learning, as a young attorney, that much like a doctor or therapist, if I saw a client in public, I could not speak to them or disclose that I knew them, unless they initiated that contact. The fact that I was a lawyer and guarded their secrets means everything.

Keep ReadingShow less
Congress Bill Spotlight: Congress Meeting in Philadelphia on Declaration of Independence 250th Anniversary

New legislation would convene Congress at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, the site of the Declaration of Independence’s signing on July 4, 1776, for the 250th anniversary on July 2, 2026.

Getty Images, Douglas Rissing

Congress Bill Spotlight: Congress Meeting in Philadelphia on Declaration of Independence 250th Anniversary

Hopefully, Nicolas Cage wouldn’t steal it this time, like he did in 2004’s implausible adventure movie National Treasure.

What the bill does

Keep ReadingShow less