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Just the Facts: Canadian Tariffs

Just the Facts: Canadian Tariffs

Coins on top of countries.

If Countries Stop Buying U.S. Debt, Everything Changes.

Redistricting

Redistricting

Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs on stage

Luke Combs, politics and healing our nation's divide

The End of the American Era

The End of the American Era

A fictional, fanciful sign depicts the results of voter suppression through the unfair, partisan manipulation of district lines (gerrymandering).

The worst congressional gerrymanders of the 2020s

Democracy Madness regional final: Voting Rights Act vs. ranked-choice voting

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The Fulcrum
By The FulcrumApr 15, 2020
The Fulcrum
The Fulcrum staff.
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The championship round in the Democracy Madness bracket's Voting region has arrived. And the top-seeded contenders have emerged at the front of the pack. But which one will be victorious?

Ranked-choice voting blew voting at home out of the water, even with all the talk about changing how ballots are cast in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. RCV has consistently destroyed its opponents throughout the tournament, winning by at least 30 points in every round.

Writing a new Voting Rights Act, which came in as the No. 1 seed, had its first real challenge of the tournament, going head-to-head with nationwide automatic voter registration. Beating AVR by just 11 points, the New VRA looks to have another difficult battle taking on RCV, which has cruised into the finals.

It's time to cast your ballot and decide. Which will be the 2020 Democracy Madness voting "region" champ? Balloting is open through Thursday and the winner will be revealed Friday. Click "Vote Now!" and make your choice.


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Defining the Democracy Movement: Karissa Raskin
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Defining the Democracy Movement: Karissa Raskin

The Fulcrum presents The Path Forward: Defining the Democracy Reform Movement. Scott Warren's interview series engages diverse thought leaders to elevate the conversation about building a thriving and healthy democratic republic that fulfills its potential as a national social and political game-changer. This initiative is the start of focused collaborations and dialogue led by The Bridge Alliance and The Fulcrum teams to help the movement find a path forward.

Karissa Raskin is the new CEO of the Listen First Project, a coalition of over 500 nationwide organizations dedicated to bridging differences. The coalition aims to increase social cohesion across American society and serves as a way for bridging organizations to compare notes, share resources, and collaborate broadly. Karissa, who is based in Jacksonville, served as the Director of Coalition Engagement for a number of years before assuming the CEO role this February.

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Drain—More Than Fight—Authoritarianism and Censorship
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Drain—More Than Fight—Authoritarianism and Censorship

The current approaches to proactively counteracting authoritarianism and censorship fall into two main categories, which we call “fighting” and “Constitution-defending.” While Constitution-defending in particular has some value, this article advocates for a third major method: draining interest in authoritarianism and censorship.

“Draining” refers to sapping interest in these extreme possibilities of authoritarianism and censorship. In practical terms, it comes from reducing an overblown sense of threat of fellow Americans across the political spectrum. When there is less to fear about each other, there is less desire for authoritarianism or censorship.

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Most Americans’ Votes Don’t Matter in Deciding Elections

New research from the Unite America Institute confirms a stark reality: Most ballots cast in American elections don’t matter in deciding the outcome. In 2024, just 14% of eligible voters cast a meaningful vote that actually influenced the outcome of a U.S. House race. For state house races, on average across all 50 states, just 13% cast meaningful votes.

“Too many Americans have no real say in their democracy,” said Unite America Executive Director Nick Troiano. “Every voter deserves a ballot that not only counts, but that truly matters. We should demand better than ‘elections in name only.’”

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