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Is The War on Iran Unlawful And Unfair To U.S. Troops?

Is The War on Iran Unlawful And Unfair To U.S. Troops?

Protestors holding signs, many that say "Stop Bombing Iran."

Trump’s ‘Just for Fun’ War Talk Shows a Dangerous Trivialization

The Iran War’s Price Tag: Billions Lost While Americans Go Without

The Iran War’s Price Tag: Billions Lost While Americans Go Without

Disinformation Wins: Justifying ICE Murders through Transphobia

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Three candidates vie to become the first Latino Representative for Illinois Congressional District

Three candidates vie to become the first Latino Representative for Illinois Congressional District

Meet the change leaders: Carolyn Lukensmeyer

Carolyn Lukensmeyer
National Institute for Civil Discourse
David L. Nevins
By David L. NevinsJun 03, 2024
David L. Nevins
David L. Nevins serves as publisher of The Fulcrum. Additionally, Nevins serves as co-founder and Board Chairman of the Bridge Alliance. Nevins brings business acumen, vision and a tireless this-must-and-can-be-done zeal to the burgeoning movement to bridge divides to transform the political process. As a business leader, Nevins excels at building bridges between people and organizations from the right, left and center for civilized conversation and then action. He co-founded the Bridge Alliance because, as he says, “No matter how well managed and how well funded anyone organization is, significant political reform will not happen without an alliance to further collaborative interactions. Together we can and will raise the collective impact of all.” He is a member of the Aspen Institute Society of Fellows, with a focus on the Aspen Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership, he established and continues to work with The Nevins Democracy Leaders program at Penn State University. Nevins graduated with honors in economics from Penn State in 1969 and received an M.B.A. in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1971.
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Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

Carolyn Lukensmeyer was the first executive director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse, an organization that works to reduce political dysfunction and incivility in our political system. As a leader in the field of deliberative democracy, she works to restore our democracy to reflect the intended vision of our Founding Fathers.

Lukensmeyer previously served as founder and President of AmericaSpeaks, an award-winning nonprofit organization that promoted nonpartisan initiatives to engage citizens and leaders through the development of innovative public policy tools and strategies. During her tenure, AmericaSpeaks engaged more than 200,000 people and hosted events across all 50 states and throughout the world.

Lukensmeyer served as consultant to the White House chief of staff from 1993 to 1994 and on the National Performance Review, where she steered internal management and oversaw government-wide reforms. She was the chief of staff to Ohio Gov. Richard Celeste from 1986 to 1991, becoming the first woman to serve in that capacity.

She earned her Ph.D. in organizational behavior from Case Western Reserve University and has completed postgraduate training at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland.

I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Lukensmeyer in May for the CityBiz “Meet the Change Leaders” series. Watch to learn the full extent of her democracy reform work:

The Fulcrum Democracy Forum Meets Carolyn Lukensmeyer, Executive Director of NICD Arizonawww.youtube.com


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A new Pew Research survey shows most Americans question each other’s morality. Can civic friendship—championed by Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln—restore trust in U.S. democracy?

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Can Democracy Survive When Americans See Each Other as “Bad People”?

Last week brought more bad news for American democracy when the Pew Research Center released survey results showing that “Americans are more likely than people in other countries surveyed in 2025 to question the morality of their fellow countrymen.” As Pew reports, “The United States is the only place we surveyed where more adults (ages 18 and older) describe the morality and ethics of others living in the country as bad (53%) than as good (47%).”

It is one thing for people in a democracy to disagree about policies or who should lead the country. It is quite another for them to think of their fellow countrymen as immoral. Without a presumption of goodwill, even among those with whom we disagree, democratic politics runs aground.

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Photo by Dave Lowe on Unsplash

America’s Love and Trust Crisis

Last night, the President of the United States stood before Congress for nearly two hours and showed us exactly what America’s love and trust crisis looks like.

He called Democratic lawmakers “crazy.” He accused them of cheating. He pointed at half the chamber with contempt. Members of Congress shouted back. One was escorted out for holding a sign that read “Black People Aren’t Apes”—a reference to a video the President himself posted depicting the Obamas as primates. Democrats walked out. Republicans roared. The longest State of the Union in modern history became a spectacle of mutual degradation in the very chamber where we are supposed to govern ourselves together as one people under God.

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Friends, Conversation, and Social Cohesion During a Time of Polarization
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Friends, Conversation, and Social Cohesion During a Time of Polarization

In the middle of last summer, a group of old college friends, now over the age of forty, flew across the United States to a rural hunting lodge in Georgia. For three days, they stayed on the property, threw the football around, retold old stories, and played practical jokes on one another. One friend, a jack-of-all-trades, taught them how to refine their fishing skills, shoot guns, and better appreciate the outdoors. Every so often, one would sneak away to call a significant other or speak with their children. Meals were prepared together, and advance planning was kept to a minimum. Briefly free from the demands and worries of modern living, they were able to live in the moment.

For more than twenty years, this group has met in various locations across the United States. They took a road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway, camped in the Rocky Mountains, and spearfished in the Florida Keys. At other times, they rented Airbnbs to explore new cities and towns. Some of their best memories come from these gatherings. On one occasion, a friend led an epic karaoke session, delivering a full-throated rendition of Meat Loaf’s “I Would Do Anything for Love” in a packed dive bar. The energy in the room rivaled that of a modern music venue. Then there are practical jokes. Once, they arranged for the police to briefly handcuff and detain a friend the day before his wedding. Another time, one friend bought a lifelike Sasquatch costume and tried to lure everyone into the woods to scare them.

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