What will American democracy look like in 2035?
That question is too often left to pundits, politicians, or institutions invested in preserving the status quo. The Democracy Architects program is built on a different premise: that the people who will inherit our democracy should help design its future.
Today, The Bridge Alliance and Civics Unplugged are proud to announce the launch of the Democracy Architects Council, a one-year, paid opportunity for eight visionary young leaders to imagine, define, and help build the next era of American democracy.
Democracy Architects is not another fellowship focused on résumés or rhetoric. It is a working council—energized, inclusive, and unapologetically ambitious—designed to move beyond diagnosis toward action. Together, the eight Democracy Architects will co-create an actionable playbook for democratic renewal, grounded in evidence, lived experience, and cross-sector collaboration.
A Council to Reimagine What’s Possible
The Democracy Architects Council will bring together leaders ages 18 to 28 from diverse sectors, regions, cultures, and backgrounds. Selected for both their demonstrated impact and their commitment to a bold democratic future, council members will serve as thought leaders representing their respective sectors, from civic engagement and public service to media, technology, education, and beyond.
Over the course of a year, Democracy Architects will work individually and collectively to articulate a vision for American democracy in 2035 and beyond. They will track emerging trends, convene roundtables with stakeholders, translate dialogue into concrete recommendations, and share their insights widely through essays, commentary, and reports published in The Fulcrum.
Their work will not exist in a vacuum. Democracy Architects will connect storytelling to moments of democratic renewal already underway, including major reform conversations and public events such as the Bridge Alliance and the National Academy of Public Administration’s Fellows for Democracy and Public Service initiative.
Support to Match the Ambition
Each Democracy Architect will receive a $10,000 annual honorarium, paid monthly, in recognition of the time, expertise, and leadership this work requires. Council members will also receive:
- Monthly full-cohort convenings to align strategies, share intelligence, and surface cross-sector insights
- Access to a centralized knowledge hub for collaboration and reporting
- Support and leadership from Civics Unplugged
- Connection to Bridge Alliance partner initiatives and fellowships
- Editorial amplification and media visibility through The Fulcrum
In return, Democracy Architects will commit approximately 20 hours per month to the role, including writing sector-focused essays, facilitating stakeholder roundtables, cultivating relationships, and collaborating on a final Democracy Architects report to be released at the end of the year.
A Wager on the Future
The Democracy Architects Council is, at its core, a wager—a belief that the future of American democracy depends on trusting young leaders not just to participate, but to lead.
These architects of democracy will chart their own path forward in dialogue with those who have walked before them, forging a bridge between legacy and possibility. Their charge is not to protect democracy as it is, but to help shape what it must become.
The inaugural cohort of Democracy Architects will be announced in late January 2026, with the first convening scheduled for late February.
At a moment when cynicism about democracy runs deep, Democracy Architects offers something rare: not just critique, but creation. These young architects of democracy will chart their own path toward America’s tomorrow, in dialogue with those who have walked before them, forging a bridge between legacy and possibility.
Kristina Becvar is Senior Advisor to the Bridge Alliance Education Fund. She previously served as the Executive Director of the Bridge Alliance,
