Talk with someone who doesn’t share your political views. Get the facts on any politician or political candidate at the nonpartisan .ĥ. Pick up pocket-sized constitutions for as little as $1.Ĥ. Facts matter: Is your news source trustworthy? Check out these non-partisan, nonprofits: and University of Virginia’s Center for Politics’ Youth Leadership Initiative’s media literacy tips.ģ. Check out for news from conservative, liberal, and centrist points of view.Ģ. Read and subscribe to daily local, regional, or national newspapers.
This is certainly something the founding fathers would support. While we are grateful for everyone’s rich contributions, the list is ours and any mistakes within it are ours alone.įinally, this list has contributed to the call to action of the newly launched Purple Project for Democracy, which has as its central mission to create a more active, engaged American citizenry, ultimately strengthening the very foundations of our democratic form of government. The list was generated drawing on the National Conference on Citizenship’s Civic Health Index and on a wide range of input from individuals dedicated to fostering improved civic engagement, including colleagues from the American Enterprise Institute, Arizona State University, CivXNow, Education International, DigCitCommit, Facing History and Ourselves, National Conference on Citizenship, National Council for the Social Studies, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign, and University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.
#Winthrop my checklist free
It is expressly free from politics and partisanship and should be undertaken by all Americans-regardless of political perspectives or affiliation. The list is broken into five actions that are essential components for engagement. While by no means comprehensive, the “Democracy 76” list below provides specific and practical actions that we all can take to be an involved citizen. Remember 1776 and consider 76 ways to stay civically engaged We must learn and practice the skills of civic participation beginning with voting and moving onto legislating, speaking out, and building coalitions to solve problems on the local, state, and federal levels.
To be a truly involved citizen, we must reconnect with our founding documents. Action is essential to maintaining the foundations of our democracy, no matter which political party happens to be in power. Self-government is hard work and requires effort. Therefore, each and every one of us must be as active and involved in our community and country as possible. Yet civic participation and engagement has been on the decline for several decades.
Civic engagement is the glue that holds self-government together. Protecting the rights of the minority as well as the majority would be infringed upon if power was not given to the People’s House, as the House of Representatives is commonly referred to. They were fearful of placing too much power in any one branch of government. Having just fought for independence from England, and deeply fearful of strong leaders like kings, they would be dismayed at the idea of removing power from the Congress to strengthen the presidency. The founding fathers would be deeply concerned about our state of affairs. Almost one in four Americans thinks a dictator, namely a “strong leader that doesn’t have to deal with Congress or elections,” could be a good way to run our country. And for many young people, the idea of self-government is no longer sacrosanct. Today, less than 20 percent of the American public trusts the government. In the 1960s, amid civil rights protests and the Vietnam war, Americans were deeply divided politically, but according to the Pew Research Center, the vast majority- almost 80 percent-trusted the government to do the right thing always or most of the time. The mix of dysfunctional politics and lack of emphasis on civic education has, among other things, led many Americans to be highly skeptical about the very foundations of our democratic form of government. Director of the Youth Leadership Initiative - University of Virginia Center for Politics
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