As the country is marking July 4th and America250., take a free, short, nonpartisan Harvard online course on the U.S. Constitution that is open to everyone: https://bit.ly/FreeCourseHarvard
June’s newsletter from the National Civic League is out now! Explore election trust, #AAC2026 speakers and jurors, Better Public Meetings NYC, Raleigh’s civic assembly, United Against Hate Week, and new work helping cities prepare for the 2026 midterms. Read more: https://conta.cc/4uFYrcA
National Civic League
National Civic League
Debates are essential to a healthy democracy. In their National Civic Review article, Justin Eckstein and William Keith explore how more inclusive and accessible debates can strengthen public deliberation and civic engagement. Read here: https://ow.ly/fcvp50YXNTW
The Gahanna Foundation is recruiting grades 10–12 students for its “Doctors of Democracy” initiative in Gahanna. Participants will support voter outreach and civic engagement efforts while earning volunteer hours or paid experience. Applications due June 22. Read more: https://ow.ly/2oMf50Z3kxn
AAC 2026 finalists will present their civic health efforts to a distinguished panel of jurors, including civic engagement practitioners, nonprofit and philanthropic leaders, and youth representatives. Meet the jurors here: https://ow.ly/HGJX50Z8XII
Five-time All-America City Award winner Hampton has long been a leader in civic engagement. In League President Doug Linkhart’s latest article for the National Civic League's National Civic Review, he explores Hampton’s model for community-centered governance. Read here: https://ow.ly/tZlO50Z1JEA
Participatory budgeting has grown into a mainstream governance tool worldwide. In our latest newsletter, the League's Nick Vlahos examines a recent study on how citizen participation in budgeting can strengthen transparency, accountability, and public trust.
Read here: https://ow.ly/KKek50Z2cQM
In a time of growing polarization, building common ground is more important than ever. Council on Foundations' Building Together conference equipped leaders to navigate differences and strengthen communities. Read key lessons from Kristen Scott Kennedy: https://ow.ly/nFoG50Zcr81
The spread of misinformation has fueled polarization and weakened trust in public institutions. In John Gastil’s National Civic Review article, he explores how civic infrastructure and digital innovation can help combat misinformation. Read here: https://ow.ly/1pYi50YXNRW
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Participatory budgeting (PB) has moved from a niche democracy innovation to a mainstream governance tool, now used in thousands of cities worldwide. A recent international study by Merrick Langdon, Harlow Pickens, Grace Nakato & Bhavana Nayak examining participatory budgeting initiatives between 2020 and 2024 provides one of the most comprehensive empirical assessments to date of how citizen involvement...
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How do we bring Americans together? Nonprofit and philanthropy leaders on the front lines of division offer answers from the field.
Countering misinformation in the public sphere requires more than just a savvy social media team at City Hall. The best approach begins by reconceptualizing misinformation not as a media strategy puzzle but as a civic infrastructure problem.
