• Home
  • Opinion
  • Quizzes
  • Redistricting
  • Sections
  • About Us
  • Voting
  • Independent Voter News
  • Campaign Finance
  • Civic Ed
  • Directory
  • Election Dissection
  • Events
  • Fact Check
  • Glossary
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Subscriptions
  • Log in
Leveraging Our Differences
  • news & opinion
    • Big Picture
      • Civic Ed
      • Ethics
      • Leadership
      • Leveraging big ideas
      • Media
    • Business & Democracy
      • Corporate Responsibility
      • Impact Investment
      • Innovation & Incubation
      • Small Businesses
      • Stakeholder Capitalism
    • Elections
      • Campaign Finance
      • Independent Voter News
      • Redistricting
      • Voting
    • Government
      • Balance of Power
      • Budgeting
      • Congress
      • Judicial
      • Local
      • State
      • White House
    • Justice
      • Accountability
      • Anti-corruption
      • Budget equity
    • Columns
      • Beyond Right and Left
      • Civic Soul
      • Congress at a Crossroads
      • Cross-Partisan Visions
      • Democracy Pie
      • Our Freedom
  • Pop Culture
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
  • events
  • About
      • Mission
      • Advisory Board
      • Staff
      • Contact Us
Sign Up
  1. Home>
  2. Newsletter>
  3. newsletter>

Op-eds of the week: Young leaders, poll workers, tips for new lawmakers

The Fulcrum
November 19, 2022



The state of young leadership

Millennials and Generation Z together are the largest age group in the United States, but only hold one-fifth of all seats in state legislatures. But that hasn’t stopped them from having a proud impact on the legislative process, writes Layla Zaidane, president and CEO of the Millennial Action Project.

Young legislators are responsible for authoring 32.9 percent of all bipartisan legislation that actually gets passed – busting any claim that young people in legislatures are more partisan or uncooperative than older generations. In my work at MAP, we have found that, while opinionated and outspoken, young legislators are able to strike a balance between bringing their full selves and opinions to the table and successfully collaborating across the aisle. While young people did not create the problems we’re facing, it appears that we’re idealistic enough to believe we can solve them and pragmatic enough to know that building coalitions is a necessary step to creating change.

Read more.

Stories from the polls around the country

Debilyn Molineaux, co-publisher of The Fulcrum, volunteered to be an election worker for the first time this year. She wanted to share her experience – which was very positive – with our readers.

I worked the polls in Maryland for the first time. I am thrilled to know that the people I worked with, everyday Americans from all walks of life, stepped up to do what needed to be done in every moment. They felt personally responsible for ensuring the integrity of the election. It was a grueling 15-hour day. I am sore, I am tired. I am proud. My spirit is lifted by the in-person exchanges, by the many first-time voters and same-day registrants. The people were determined to vote. At one point, our lines were likely 60-90 minutes. I never saw anyone leave. Glad I voted absentee!

And she also invited others to share their experiences as well.

Read more.

A step back from the edge of the cliff

Democrats retained control of the Senate and Republicans captured just enough seats to take power in the House of Representatives, defying both pundits and the former president. And that’s a good thing for democracy, according to author Lawrence Goldstone.

For most Democrats and some Republicans, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, was certain to be a cataclysm. Trump was so confident that he planned to announce another presidential run on election eve, only at the last minute acceding to his advisors’ entreaties to wait until the election was over. Then, America’s would-be Vladimir Putin would triumphantly begin the process by which he would be swept into office.

But American voters did not cooperate.

Read more.

Five things the congressional class of 2022 should do differently

Congress returned for its post-election legislative session last week, accompanied by new lawmakers who were in D.C. to attend orientation. But rather than picking up some of the less-productive habits displayed by their predecessors, the newcomers should rethink how they run their offices, writes Bradford Fitch.

One of the most common flaws the Congressional Management Foundation has observed in the past decade is that new members of Congress simply inherit the bad habits of their predecessors. The operational demands of remote work, the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, and the outstanding progress initiated by the House Chief Administrative Officer in recent years have certainly infused more creativity in congressional operations. Yet the first-term members of the 118th Congress have an opportunity to make additional innovations.

Bradford has five tips for organizing offices and handling working with constituents.

Read more.

newsletter

Want to write
for The Fulcrum?

If you have something to say about ways to protect or repair our American democracy, we want to hear from you.

Submit
Get some Leverage Sign up for The Fulcrum Newsletter
Confirm that you are not a bot.
×
Follow

Support Democracy Journalism; Join The Fulcrum

The Fulcrum daily platform is where insiders and outsiders to politics are informed, meet, talk, and act to repair our democracy and make it live and work in our everyday lives. Now more than ever our democracy needs a trustworthy outlet

Contribute
Contributors

Policymakers must address worsening civil unrest post Roe

Sarah K. Burke

Video: How to salvage U.S. democracy from the "tyranny of the minority"

Our Staff

What "Progress" should look like, and what we get wrong

Damien De Pyle

The long kiss goodnight: Nancy Pelosi and the protracted decay of public office

Kevin Frazier

Demanding corporate responsibility for food system challenges

C.Anne Long

Our two political parties: A resemblance to WrestleMania

Leland R. Beaumont
latest News

Tapping the common sense on immigration

Steven Kull
Evan Charles Lewitus
JP Thomas
12h

Most Americans agree on these two principles of democracy

Nick Troiano
12h

Let’s celebrate our unnatural Constitution

Thomas Kelly
12h

International Day of Democracy and statelessness

Tenzin Dolma
15 September

The shofar blasts on Constitution Day

Rabbi Charles Savenor
15 September

On democracy in America

Lori Brewer Collins
14 September
Videos
Video: Do white leaders hinder black aspirations?

Video: Do white leaders hinder black aspirations?

Our Staff
Video: How to prepare for student loan repayments returning

Video: How to prepare for student loan repayments returning

Our Staff
Video: The history of Labor Day

Video: The history of Labor Day

Our Staff
Video: Trump allies begin to flip as prosecutions move forward

Video: Trump allies begin to flip as prosecutions move forward

Our Staff
Video Rewind: Trans-partisan practices and the "superpower of respect"

Video Rewind: Trans-partisan practices and the "superpower of respect"

Our Staff
Video: Pearce Godwin of Listen First Project discusses Listen First on CSPAN

Video: Pearce Godwin of Listen First Project discusses Listen First on CSPAN

Our Staff
Podcasts

Podcast: How states hold fair elections

Our Staff
14 September

Podcast: The MAGA Bubble, Bidenonmics and Playing the Victim

Debilyn Molineaux
David Riordan
12 September

Podcast: Defending the founding principles of our government

Our Staff
07 September

Podcast: The continuing effects of summer heat and student loan repayments

Our Staff
05 September
Recommended
Tapping the common sense on immigration

Tapping the common sense on immigration

Big Picture
Most Americans agree on these two principles of democracy

Most Americans agree on these two principles of democracy

Voting
Let’s celebrate our unnatural Constitution

Let’s celebrate our unnatural Constitution

Big Picture
International Day of Democracy and statelessness

International Day of Democracy and statelessness

Policies
The shofar blasts on Constitution Day

The shofar blasts on Constitution Day

Big Picture
Video: Do white leaders hinder black aspirations?

Video: Do white leaders hinder black aspirations?

Diversity Inclusion and Belonging