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A woman timing another women in the military as she does push ups.

Hegseth Made the Fitness Test Harder for Women in Combat Roles. Most Female Marines Are Passing.

Capitol building, Washington, D.C.

Republicans Are Walking Away From Congress’s Core Duties

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​Paintings of Stalin

The Stalinization of America

The women who lead democracy reform

Sara Bonk, Jackie Salit, Justine Williams
Shakira Mills
By Shakira MillsMar 14, 2022
Shakira Mills
Shakira Mills is a contributor for The Fulcrum, a nonpartisan publication dedicated to strengthening democracy by fostering informed civic engagement and elevating diverse perspectives.
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While women remain significantly underrepresented in government, there is at least one adjacent field in which they have achieved gender parity in leadership: the universe of democracy reform and bridge-building organizations.

In its 2021 Diversity Report, the Bridge Alliance found that half of the executives leading its 100 member organizations are women. (Disclosure: The Fulcrum is a program within the Bridge Alliance, which brings together organizations working toward a healthy democracy.)

To mark Women’s History Month, The Fulcrum is spotlighting just some of the women leading these organizations.

Justine Williams

Justine Williams, Care Lab

Co-founder, Care Lab

"I am passionate about the work we are taking on at Care Lab to reduce polarization because I am keenly aware of what’s possible and what’s at stake. As human beings we are immensely capable of building caring practices, institutions, and policies. But if we don’t draw on our capacities to listen to each other and collaborate, we run the risk of increased political violence and hate. I am so inspired in this work by the many women scientists, researchers, and authors who inform the field of empathy, care, and collaboration; by a co-founder who prioritizes embedding women in every stage of our work; and by the women who make it possible for me to work: amazing childcare workers."


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Our Democracy Is a Beast, When It Should Be a Buffalo

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For years, I thought California’s Central Valley presented one of the more puzzling electorates I encountered as a public-opinion researcher.

I conducted dozens of surveys throughout the Valley, including communities that would eventually become parts of David Valadao’s congressional districts. One pattern was difficult to miss. Democratic registration, particularly among Latino voters, often suggested a considerably more Democratic electorate than appeared on Election Day. Participation was uneven, and Latino Democratic registration did not translate into equivalent electoral strength.

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Less than two months before the November election, it is turning into a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second term. The key question that is usually asked in referendum elections like this one is: “Am I better off now than I was two years ago, at the time of the last election?

In answer to that question, the United States is kind of in a schizophrenic place—stuck between statistical indicators of how the economy is doing and individual Americans’ perceptions of how their own personal situation is faring in the Trump economy. Looking at the economic indicators – which at this point are unlikely to change between now and November – the performance is fairly mixed. Not great, but not horrible.

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Lawyers Must Reaffirm Their Oath to Defend the Constitution

Every lawyer admitted to practice in the United States takes a formal oath to support the Constitution and faithfully discharge the duties of the profession. In recent years, bar associations and courts around the country have held voluntary oath reaffirmation ceremonies, inviting lawyers to publicly renew their commitments and reaffirm the profession's responsibility to uphold the rule of law.

Between us, we have taken the oath eight times - having been admitted to practice law in six jurisdictions, across five states, and both having organized oath reaffirmation ceremonies in our respective Virginia hometowns.

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