In this episode of How to Win Friends and Save The Republic, a podcast from the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers, special guests technology gurus Sara Gifford and Victor Allis talk about their app, ActiVote, which helps people increase their civic engagement by completing meaningful, daily actions.
Girls with chalk coloring American flag on sidewalk
When you hear the word “freedom,” what comes to mind? For many, it’s the ability to do whatever we want without restrictions. But what if we reimagined freedom? What if it wasn’t just about personal liberty, but about finding purpose, building connections, and making life better—not just for ourselves, but for others too?
In a democracy, this idea of freedom takes on even greater significance. A healthy democracy thrives not just on individual rights but on collective responsibility. Real freedom, then, isn’t the absence of accountability; it’s found through accountability.
This connection between freedom and accountability is the foundation of civic engagement. It’s about moving beyond individual desires to contribute meaningfully to the broader community. Think of the everyday heroes who volunteer at polling stations, join neighborhood associations, or spearhead efforts to renovate a local park. These actions don’t just strengthen democracy—they make freedom purposeful.
Here’s a simple example: Imagine joining a community group to revitalize a local school playground. It’s not only about creating a safer, happier place for children to play—it’s about fostering community pride and connection. In this way, civic engagement transforms individual freedom into a collective force for good.
The idea that helping others enhances our own well-being is backed by research. Studies show that contributing to others boosts happiness and provides a deeper sense of purpose (Aknin, Dunn, & Norton, 2013). People who regularly help others report greater life satisfaction and even live longer. By stepping outside of our own desires and focusing on others, we create a ripple effect of positivity—and we benefit, too.
Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter
This principle applies to civic life as well. Participating in efforts that benefit our neighborhoods or nation—whether through voting, organizing, or simply lending a hand—can create that same sense of fulfillment. Accountability in this context isn’t a burden; it’s an opportunity to connect with others and contribute to something bigger than ourselves.
One of the most visible examples of freedom intertwined with accountability is free speech. Words have power, and in a democracy, how we use that power shapes trust and connection. Misinformation, for instance, can erode public trust and weaken democratic processes. The spread of falsehoods about election integrity in recent years has shown just how damaging unchecked speech can be.
On the flip side, responsible communication—fact-checked journalism, civil discourse, and thoughtful debates—builds bridges and strengthens democracy. Imagine if each of us saw our freedom of speech as an invitation to foster understanding rather than sow division. That’s accountability in action, and it starts with us.
Freedom and accountability are not just for individuals—they’re also essential for communities and businesses. Consider initiatives where neighbors come together to improve local parks or advocate for better public services. These efforts reflect a “we” mindset, where freedom is exercised in ways that benefit everyone.
For businesses, the stakes are even higher. Companies influence political decisions, social norms, and environmental outcomes. When businesses act responsibly, considering their employees, customers, and the planet, they contribute to the common good. When they don’t, the consequences ripple through society.
At its heart, the conversation about freedom and accountability is about growth. It’s about recognizing that we’re all connected and that our choices impact others. Accountability isn’t a limitation—it’s an invitation to live with purpose, connection, and kindness.
So, what does this look like in everyday life? Picture a neighborhood coming together to plant trees in a park, improving air quality and creating a place for kids to play. Or think about a group of citizens advocating for better public transportation, ensuring access for those who need it most. These acts of civic engagement demonstrate freedom matured—freedom that uplifts and unites.
Freedom, when it matures, becomes so much more than “doing what I want.” It becomes a way of living that creates joy, builds trust, and strengthens communities. And isn’t that the kind of freedom we all want—not just for ourselves, but for each other?
Debilyn Molineaux is a storyteller, collaborator & connector. For 20 years, she led cross-partisan organizations. She works towards a thriving, just, and healthy future for all. She is the Executive Director at the Center for Collaborative Democracy, leading the Grand Bargain Project. She continues her work at American Future, inspiring everyone to share their personal future visions as a foundation for building new communities, and is the host of the TerrifiedNation.com podcast.
Christmas is such a fixture of American culture, it is hard to believe that this was not always the case. When the Puritans arrived on these shores, they had no interest in celebrating a day they saw as an ostentatious invention. Jumping ahead to 1789, the first year of the republic, Congress met in session on Dec. 25 like it was any other day.
Following that early chapter in American history, Christmas slowly and steadily took hold on the national calendar, especially as waves of immigrants brought their traditions to this continent. During the Civil War, Christmas day was embraced as a brief respite from the battlefield.
Elected president in 1868, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was as committed to peace as he was vigilant about war. Having witnessed firsthand the ravages of the Civil War, he believed that the creation of a civic calendar could become a vehicle to bring the North and South back together.
On June 28, 1870, Grant signed legislation making Christmas a federal holiday, along with New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Washington’s Birthday and Independence Day. Of these first five federal holidays — at first only mandated within the District of Columbia — Christmas was certainly the most religious in nature, but the legislation framed the day as a day off from work rather than a spiritual celebration. At a time when the memories and wounds of the Civil War were still fresh, Grant understood that the creation of a unified calendar would be the cornerstone of a shared civic culture. Furthermore, he hoped that even more important than the time off would be the time spent on identifying common values that could assist in healing the soul of the country.
Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter
Despite Grant’s assertion that we “keep the church and state forever separate,” his inclusion of Christmas invites questions about the place of religion in the public square and the establishment clause. With these issues having once again taken center stage in our national conversation, it is vital that educators, students and all members of American society understand the parameters of the First Amendment.
The intended impact of civic holidays has changed dramatically since the Grant administration. Perceived essentially as days off from work and school, civic holidays have been diluted as vehicles of transmitting values and building communal bonds. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968, for example, shifted several federal holidays to Mondays, thereby connecting these days with long weekends and holiday sales.
While the observance of civic holidays does not always live up to Grant’s vision, Civic Spirit, the organization for which I work, embraces these days as vital educational opportunities. In addition to producing civic holiday resources for classrooms and dining rooms around the country, our team works with schools to reimagine how they approach civic holidays. This effort is of the utmost importance as we near America’s 250th anniversary in just 18 months.
Turning the page on 2024, we look forward to working with schools nationwide to deepen student’s understanding of America’s story, put civic values into practice and create community connections. I can’t think of a better gift during this holiday season.
Savenor is a rabbi and executive director of Civic Spirit, a nonpartisan organization that provides training and resources to faith-based schools across the United States.
Sen.-elect John Curtis was influenced by transformational advocacy.
They both happened on the same day. First I read that Merriam-Webster selected “polarization” as the 2024 Word of the Year. And then I listened to remarks delivered by Sen.-elect John Curtis (R-Utah) at the Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s fall conference.
Merriam-Webster defines polarization as “division into two sharply distinct opposites; especially, a state in which the opinions, beliefs, or interests of a group or society no longer range along a continuum but become concentrated at opposing extremes.”
Curtis’ description of his work with CCL volunteers in Utah was a masterclass in resolving polarization. A former mayor of Provo who was sworn in as a member of the House of Representative the same month that Donald Trump was sworn in as president in his first term, Curtis spoke candidly about his learning curve as a new member of Congress struggling to address climate change.
Proud of the work he had done as mayor on issues like clean air, he recalled a hike with CCL members early in his first term, something that has become an annual tradition. That first hike lasted eight hours. How many of us spend eight hours with our newly elected member of Congress?
“[During the hike] somebody in the group said, … ‘What are you doing about carbon?’” Curtis remembered. “If I'm honest, it caught me off guard. I had spent very little of my time thinking about carbon, greenhouse gas emissions and climate.”
Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter
Soon he was in Washington, D.C, caught up in these discussions.
“I was at a real loss on how to respond,” Curtis continued. “So I responded like a lot of Republicans typically respond, not so much pushing back but more dodging and feeling very uncomfortable when asked about climate.”
Unsatisfied with his own answers, Curtis began learning more about climate. “It made me a little bit nervous,” he said, “because Republicans, particularly seven years ago, just didn’t talk about climate, carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.”
Curtis complimented the Utah CCL volunteers for not giving up on him. He might not have been able to name it, but he was empowered by their use of transformational advocacy.
“It would have been really easy for my … CCL friends and others to criticize me for not supporting certain bills.,” Curtis remembered. “Instead [they] found things that I did that they liked, and they found bills I supported that they liked. [I know] it was very inadequate for what they would have hoped or aspired to. But that approach of embracing me and making me feel good about myself and what I was doing, actually inspired me to want to do more.”
And he did. He knew he had to get Republicans talking and launched the Conservative Climate Caucus.
“A Republican talking about climate,” Curtis said, “from a state where our state rock is coal and where I have a county called Carbon County was a little scary for my staff and for me.”
The Conservative Climate Caucus, which now has 87 members, started with several dozen. “They literally came to me and said, ‘I want to be part of your caucus. It's finally time for us to be doing this.’ And the way I've interpreted that is that Republicans were tired of getting their teeth kicked in at town hall meetings, they were tired of not having answers. They were tired of looking like they didn't want to leave the Earth better than we found it. …
“.As they grew comfortable talking about climate, they stopped worrying about the science and they started worrying about how you reduce carbon. It’s almost a magical thing.”
Curtis initiated a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), signed by 18 House Republicans, on the Inflation Reduction Act, the most far-reaching climate legislation ever enacted. Writing publicly to Johnson “tells you how committed these 18 names were on that letter. … And to his credit [ Johnson] said, ‘When it comes to the IRA we'll use [a scalpel].’ … With so many of us committed to the good parts of the IRA, I think that bodes well.”
Curtis expressed his appreciation for CCL’s approach, encouraged out-of-staters to join the hike, and concluded, “It's amazing how much you agree on when you're out in the beautiful outdoors and how the things you disagree on dissolve so quickly.”
Curtis’ remarks and CCL volunteers’ commitment to transformational advocacy are an important antidote to Merriam-Webster’s word of the year.
Daley-Harris is the author of “Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen’s Guide to Transformational Advocacy” and the founder of RESULTS and Civic Courage. This is part of a series focused on better understanding transformational advocacy: citizens awakening to their power.
The Youth Civics Solution Competition identified people ages 14-24 who have innovative ideas about strengthening civic knowledge, engagement and trust."
We have many reasons to be cynical about our democracy these days. Hyper-partisanship interferes with the functioning of American democratic institutions. Left- and right-leaning media continue to spoon-feed an endless stream of biased news, depressing an already too-depressed population. And both political parties are fractured and dysfunctional in unprecedented ways. Yet, even amid that doom and gloom, I recently witnessed extraordinary examples of civic innovation from the next generation.
The National Conference on Citizenship hosted a panel at its annual event in December highlighting the winners of a new awards program: the Youth Civics Solution Competition. According to the sponsor, the Institute for Citizens and Scholars, the program is a “national challenge designed to elevate the voices of young people aged 14-24 with innovative ideas about strengthening civic knowledge, engagement, and trust across the United States.” Nearly 150 submissions were reviewed, and 10 winners were selected. The session with some of the winners held this month in Washington, D.C., was one of the most inspiring and fascinating displays of creativity in the civics arena.
Emily Gorodetskiy, a high school junior from San Francisco, designed a VR headset to simulate voting. “I want to take the stigma out of voting for those who may be intimidated by the process,” she said. The tool is especially useful for new citizens from other countries, and she’ll be using the prize money to expand the software beyond the three languages it currently offers.
Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter
Brandon Tran, 22, is taking a break from graduate school to run a nonprofit he founded, ChallengeUS. The goal is to create an international competition for students for writing and speeches. In the first year of the program more than 300 students from 54 nations applied, with winners coming from Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Canada and the United States. The experiment caught the attention of the United Nations, and Brandon was asked to attend the Summit of the Future in New York.
David Guo, 17 years old and from Fountain Hills, Arizona, is encouraging members of his network to express their civics concepts through an unlikely source: art. The idea is for participants to illustrate some aspects of our democracy to allow people to “visualize their role and how they can contribute,” Guo said.
Parth Joshi is an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California and leads the Activist Incubator, a six-week curriculum that teaches students the ins and outs of advocacy based on historical movements and practical skills. Students also host an advocacy event at the end of the semester, with the goal of fostering more political engagement at USC.
Isabella Hanson, 18, of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, led student-run workshops addressing current issues related to media literacy and civic knowledge through poetry. The “I Matter” initiative is aimed at empowering individuals across the U.S. to develop innovative ideas that enhance civic knowledge and engagement. "Poetry and artwork were my ways of processing the world around me,” Hanson said. “It gave me an outlet, and I realized that others needed a space to share their stories too."
Spokane, Washington, is increasingly a diverse city, with a growing international population, especially for Syrian and Ukrainian refugees. So, Jenna Fliesen, 23, saw a need to support this community and founded Spokane Rising. The event aims to bring together Gen Z with mentors and partner with Spokane's refugee and immigrant communities. “With so much growth in our city, it’s never been more important to build these connections and empower the next generation of change-makers,” she said.
If all Americans could spend an hour with this group of extraordinary young people, they might feel that the future of our democracy is in better shape than they think.
Fitch is the former CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation and author of “Citizen’s Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials.”
