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Congress Bill Spotlight: Panama Canal Repurchase Act

Congress Bill Spotlight: Panama Canal Repurchase Act

Project 2025: Changes to the Department of Veterans Affairs

Project 2025: Changes to the Department of Veterans Affairs

Supreme Court Ruling Offers a Glimmer of Hope for the Rule of Law

Supreme Court Ruling Offers a Glimmer of Hope for the Rule of Law

Redistricting

Redistricting

Project 2025: Elon Musk’s attack on the Department of Labor

Project 2025: Elon Musk’s attack on the Department of Labor

Donald Trump

​​Five-week report card on Trump 2.0

Video: Honoring Memorial Day

Video: Honoring Memorial Dayplay icon
The Fulcrum
By The FulcrumMay 29, 2023
The Fulcrum
The Fulcrum staff.
See More Writings by author

There is no America without democracy, no democracy without voting, and no informed voting without respectful debate.

On this day of remembrance of those who have died to protect and defend our democracy, let us all make a pledge to support these three principles:

  • The right of all American citizens to participate in a transparent, safe and secure election process.
  • The peaceful conduct of all elections and the peaceful transfer of power.
  • The treatment of all our fellow citizens with dignity and respect, and never with contempt.

And let us remember “Freedom is Never Free.”

Latest news

Democrats are from Mars, Republicans are from Venus
Bridging & Common Ground

Democrats are from Mars, Republicans are from Venus

Defining the Democracy Reform Movement: Julia Roig
Bridging & Common Ground

Defining the Democracy Reform Movement: Julia Roig

On the Basis of Merit: The Only Fair Way Forward
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

On the Basis of Merit: The Only Fair Way Forward

Voter’s remorse? Not much, but give it time
Ethics & Leadership

Voter’s remorse? Not much, but give it time

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Is America a Democracy or a Republic?

Is America a Democracy or a Republic?

From the Penn State McCourtney Institute for Democracy:

New Democracy Discourse Lesson Addresses an Age-Old Question

Is the United States a democracy or a republic? The answer to that question often varies depending on who you ask. We explore the differences in the newest episode of Democracy Discourse, our educational series on YouTube.

In this lesson, host Brandon Stover explores the definitions and distinctions between different types of democracy, including direct and representative democracies, as well as liberal and illiberal representative democracies.

We also discuss the concept of a republic and how it contrasts with monarchy. The video features insights from experts including Francis Fukuyama and provides a comprehensive overview of the principles of democracy and liberalism in the United States, as well as the impact of federalism.

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Primary Reform and Pivotal Voters

Primary Reform and Pivotal Voters

From the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers:

Primary Reform and Pivotal Voters: A discussion of research on how ideological purity gets translated into representation, the concept of the pivotal voter, and what’s on the horizon.

Join the National Association of Nonpartisan Reforms for a conversation with Sam Wang, Ph.D., from Princeton University, regarding his research on the impact of primary reform on electoral outcomes, how "pivotal voters" play into the dynamic, and what electoral reformers should keep in mind moving forward.

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Video: The dignity index

Video: The dignity index

UNITE is a national initiative to ease divisions, prevent violence, and solve problems. UNITE designed the Dignity Index, an eight-point scale that measures the level of contempt or dignity in a selected passage of speech. Lower scores (1-4) reflect a lack of dignity and the presence of contempt, with the lowest score (1) showing the most contempt. The higher scores (5-8) reflect language grounded in dignity, with the highest score (8) showing the most dignity.

In September 2022, a team from the University of Utah that included the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, the David Eccles School of Business, and the Hinckley Institute of Politics joined the project UNITE effort to pilot the Dignity Index in Utah. With a team of 22 student coders from politically and ideologically diverse backgrounds, the Utah pilot tested using the Dignity Index in coding passages in Utah political campaigns.

Video: How America's two-party doom loop is driving division

Video: How America's two-party doom loop is driving division

"We're in a doom loop of toxic politics," says political reform scholar Lee Drutman. In this new video from Unite America, Drutman's doom loop theory is explained and we unpack how the doom loop threatens the very fabric of our nation.

How did we get here? What are the impacts of the doom loop? And most importantly, how do we get out?

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