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USA Presidential voters on electoral college map

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact Federalism at Its Best

US Senate candidate Dan Osborn

7 Independent Campaigns to Watch in the Final Days of the Midterms

President Donald Trump

Trump doesn’t care about the midterms. You should

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stands for anthems at the Pentagon on October 15, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. The two defense officials discussed NATO financial commitments by European countries.

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Blue wave with the US Capitol building

The 2026 Blue Wave: Voters Rejected Trump, Not Endorsed Democrats

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.

Sarah Bonk

Sarah Bonk

Founder & CEO, Business for America

"Research shows that companies with more women in leadership have better financial performance, more innovation, and less risk. When our public servants more closely resemble America’s diverse voices, our democracy will work better, too. It’s an honor every day to work with women from across the country fighting to make our democracy truly representative."


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The Election Night TSUNAMI Wasn’t Blue - It Was Independent

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Fear is the easiest message in American politics. It is cheap to produce, quick to spread, and usually reliable on Election Day.

For years, this fearfulness has told Americans that the person next door is the enemy. On Tuesday, a great many of them stopped listening. In places almost nobody expected, voters turned away from candidates who vowed to tear things down and rewarded those who treated the country as something worth rebuilding and their opponents as people to persuade.

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In 2008, Barack Obama, then a young Senator from Illinois, ran for president proclaiming he was “fired up and ready to go” and promising “hope and change.” He made the cover of Vibe magazine, the first politician ever to do so.

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