Today, we are proud to announce a landmark partnership between the Bridge Alliance and the National Academy of Public Administration: Bridge Alliance & National Academy of Public Administration Fellows for Democracy and Public Service.
This flagship initiative is designed to elevate distributed leadership across the democracy reform and civic renewal space. It marks a bold step toward integrating institutional wisdom with civic imagination by linking the Academy’s distinguished Fellows with the dynamic, cross-sector ecosystem cultivated by the Bridge Alliance.
Together, we are not simply launching a program. We are building a leadership infrastructure for the future of American democracy.
These Fellows programs are not governance structures; they are leadership ecosystems. They replace top-down models with distributed expertise, collaborative strategy, and public-facing storytelling. Fellows will serve as conveners, connectors, and catalysts, amplifying field insights, shaping democratic narratives, and stewarding resilience through shared leadership.
Fellows will anchor their work in six core sectors, each stewarding a vital component of a thriving democratic republic:
● Public Service Leadership and Civil Service Reform Fellows will examine the systems, rules, and practices that govern the federal workforce, identifying opportunities to modernize for greater agility and impact. This includes strategies to recruit, develop, and sustain the next generation of public leaders equipped to navigate complexity and deliver results.
● Voting and Elections Trust in our electoral processes is foundational to democratic legitimacy. Fellows will analyze all components of voting and election administration—from registration to ballot security—offering actionable recommendations to ensure impartiality, transparency, and public trust. This includes ethics standards for senior election officials and safeguards against political interference.
● Bridging & Dialogue In an era of division, this sector explores the art and practice of bridging differences. Fellows will elevate efforts that foster mutual understanding, respectful dialogue, and shared purpose across ideological, cultural, and generational lines. Constructive engagement is not just possible—it is essential to democratic renewal.
● Electoral Systems Reform Nonpartisan reforms that ensure robust competition and fair representation are vital to a functional government accountable to the people. Fellows will examine innovations such as ranked-choice voting, gerrymandering reform, campaign finance transparency, and independent voter rights—co-creating the policies and movements that reshape how power is held and shared.
● Trustworthy Information Democracy depends not only on what we know, but on how we know it. Fellows in this sector will focus on restoring a shared civic reality through rigorous measurement and reliable reporting—empowering citizens to interpret trends, evaluate outcomes, and advocate for evidence-based change.
● Pluralism America’s strength lies in its diversity—and in our capacity to navigate it with empathy and imagination. Fellows will explore how pluralism is practiced, challenged, and reimagined across communities and institutions, amplifying stories of coexistence, conflict, and cultural evolution to shape a republic where every voice matters and every story counts.
The work and insights of the Fellows will be woven into the Academy’s Campaign for the American Public Servant (CAPS)—a national initiative to honor and elevate the contributions of public servants across all levels of government. CAPS shines a light on those who serve with excellence and integrity, often behind the scenes, and helps restore public trust by celebrating the everyday heroes who sustain our democratic institutions.
In a time of cynicism and distrust, CAPS reframes public service as a noble and impactful calling. It fosters civic pride and appreciation for the quiet, steady work that keeps our republic strong.
This partnership between the Bridge Alliance and the Academy reflects our shared commitment to building durable civic infrastructure rooted in collaboration, powered by expertise, and guided by purpose.
We believe it is imperative that the Fellows’ work results in clear, actionable recommendations for reform and renewal. This program is not designed to generate more awareness. Instead, it is built to produce executable action plans: translating research and dialogue into tangible reforms, and generating actionable insights through collaboration with diverse stakeholders.
In these divisive times, when our country faces such significant challenges, we must move beyond mere reflection and rhetoric. We must activate leadership, foster trust, and deliver results.
This program is designed to do just that.
James Chrisitian Blockwood is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Academy of Public Administration.
David L. Nevins is the publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.
