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Podcast: An Appetite for Corruption with Josh Silver

Podcast: An Appetite for Corruption with Josh Silver

Who exactly do politicians work for? To answer that, Josh Silver, co-founder and executive director of RepresentUs, joins the latest episode of How to Win Friends and Save The Republic from The National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers.

RepresentUs brings together conservatives, progressives, and everyone in between to pass powerful state and local laws that fix our broken elections and stop political bribery. RepUs seeks to dismantle the root causes of inequities in our democracy and end political corruption, extremism and gridlock.


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People waving US flags

People waving US flags

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Democracy Fellowship Spotlight: Joel Gurin on Trustworthy Data

Earlier this year, the Bridge Alliance and the National Academy of Public Administration launched the Fellows for Democracy and Public Service Initiative to strengthen the country's civic foundations. This fellowship unites the Academy’s distinguished experts with the Bridge Alliance’s cross‑sector ecosystem to elevate distributed leadership throughout the democracy reform landscape. Instead of relying on traditional, top‑down models, the program builds leadership ecosystems: spaces where people share expertise, prioritize collaboration, and use public‑facing storytelling to renew trust in democratic institutions. Each fellow grounds their work in one of six core sectors essential to a thriving democratic republic.

Recently, I interviewed Joel Gurin, who founded and now leads the Center for Open Data Enterprise (CODE) and wrote Open Data Now. Before launching CODE in 2015, he chaired the White House Task Force on Smart Disclosure, which studied how open government data can improve consumer markets. He also led as Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission and spent over a decade at Consumer Reports.

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Person holding a phone and bills.

Economic anxiety among millennials and younger Americans is reshaping the American Dream. Explore how rising housing costs, wage stagnation, and inequality are driving political change and weakening trust in institutions.

Getty Images, Natalia Lebedinskaia

The Economic Squeeze on Young Americans: Why It Matters for Democracy

As a parent of millennials, I can see firsthand the reality described in a recent Barron’s commentary by Randall W. Forsyth: the financial anxiety many younger Americans feel is not misplaced pessimism. It is a rational response to an economy that increasingly feels stacked against them. The traditional markers of stability, especially homeownership, have moved further out of reach. What was once the cornerstone of the American Dream, an affordable house, now feels almost unattainable for many young Americans. The consequences are not only economic. They are political too.

For much of the postwar era, American democracy relied on a powerful assumption: each generation would do better than the last. Economic growth did not eliminate inequality, but it reinforced a broader belief that the system ultimately rewarded effort. Work, education, and saving were expected to lead gradually toward stability and the attainment of the American Dream. Homeownership. Family formation. Modest wealth built over time.

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Jennifer Lawrence speaks during the "Die My Love" press conference at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 18, 2025 in Cannes, France.

Jennifer Lawrence questions whether celebrity activism still matters in politics. As the 2026 midterms approach, explore the decline of celebrity endorsements, rising polarization, and the evolving role of pop culture in shaping voter behavior.

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Jennifer Lawrence Questions Whether Stars Still Influence Politics

Eight months before the 2026 midterms, one of Hollywood’s most recognizable figures has offered a blunt assessment of her industry’s political influence. Jennifer Lawrence, known for speaking out on issues from gender equality to democratic norms, now questions whether celebrity activism has any real impact.

In a recent interview, Lawrence stated that “celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever in who people vote for.” This is notable both because of her prominence and because it comes at a time when American politics is deeply intertwined with culture and entertainment. She described the Trump era as a time when she felt she was “running around like a chicken with my head cut off,” trying to use her platform to sound alarms. But after years of backlash, polarization, and the sense that celebrity statements only “add fuel to a fire that’s ripping the country apart,” she’s questioning the value of speaking out.

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The Hardest Part of Postpartum Has Been Fascism

woman in orange long sleeve shirt sitting on gray couch

Photo by Joice Kelly on Unsplash

The Hardest Part of Postpartum Has Been Fascism

The hardest part of postpartum hasn’t been the sleepless nights or the endless cycle of feeding, burping, and diaper changes. It’s been scrolling through the news while nap-trapped under a newborn and realizing that the world my son has just entered feels increasingly hostile and uncertain.

Nothing could have prepared me for navigating the throes of new motherhood while watching fascism unfold in real time.

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