On March 14, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences convened a conversation on what it means to be in a constitutional crisis, whether America is in one currently, and the role of the judiciary in our constitutional system of checks and balances.
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** Constitutional Crisis: What is it and are we in one?
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On March 14, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences convened a conversation ([link removed]) on what it means to be in a constitutional crisis, whether America is in one currently, and the role of the judiciary in our system of checks and balances. The discussion was moderated by Goodwin Liu (Supreme Court of California) with introductory remarks from Laurie L. Patton (American Academy of Arts & Sciences). Speakers Thomas Griffith (Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University), Vanita Gupta (New York University), Janet Napolitano (University of California, Berkeley), and Eric Posner (University of Chicago Law School) discussed the history of presidential power in America, assessed courts’ performance in the Trump administration thus far, examined the status of norms under the current administration, and highlighted what the warning signs of a
constitutional crisis are. Speakers agreed that the executive branch refusing to obey a court order
would mark a line being crossed into a constitutional crisis – but as one speaker highlighted, knowing when such a line is crossed is not always clear. The panel concluded by noting steps all Americans can take in these moments. Watch the full conversation here ([link removed]) .
** Stories from the Field
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** Democracy Solutions Summit Promotes Solutions for Expanding Representation.
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RepresentWomen’s annual convening ([link removed]) of women experts uplifted viable local and state-level solutions for a more representative democracy and featured speakers from the OCP Champions network, including Cynthia Richie Terrell (RepresentWomen), Meredith Sumpter (FairVote), Grace Ramsey (Democracy Rising), and Jeanne Massey (FairVote Minnesota).
** Civic Learning Week Builds Momentum for Civics Education.
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Reflecting on this year’s Civic Learning Week (March 9-13), iCivics’ Shawn Healy argues for a generational investment ([link removed]) in civics education and explains what states can do to ensure stronger civic outcomes for students. In a related piece, Elizabeth Clay Roy, CEO of Generation Citizen, underscores the importance of community-based civics curriculum ([link removed]) and teacher training.
** National Service Reports Highlight Value of Service.
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AmeriCorps released the 2025 National Service Reports, ([link removed]) which provide a comprehensive look at how local leaders across all 50 states have leveraged federal investment for service and volunteer programs in urban, rural, and tribal communities. OCP calls for establishing an expectation of national service ([link removed]) .
** Steps for Revitalizing Civic Association.
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Citing the Academy’s report ([link removed]) on fortifying civic culture, Daniel Stid (American Enterprise Institute) argues that civil society must seed and cultivate efforts ([link removed]) to help Americans re-learn the art of association.
** Most Americans Share a Common Vision for the Nation, New Research Finds.
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Nationhood Lab released “The Story of America: A rebooted civic national narrative for the United States ([link removed]) ,” a new report based on groundbreaking research that identifies a broadly held story of common national purpose, origins and belonging.
** The Connection Opportunity: New Report Offers Insights for Bringing Americans Together.
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More in Common released a new report ([link removed]) based on a two-year study that reveals Americans are eager to connect across lines of difference – but often lack opportunities to do so.
** Action Items for Voter Engagement Nonprofits.
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To help nonprofits in the voter engagement space make sense of recent policy developments, Nonprofit VOTE compiled a brief rundown ([link removed]) of new policies that could impact the space and highlighted actions nonprofits can take to maintain their voter engagement efforts and empower voters.
** In the News
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** Issue One: Trump's Executive Order on Election Administration Threatens Decentralized Election System.
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Responding to a new executive order ([link removed]) from the Trump administration that seeks to change how U.S. elections are run, OCP Champion Issue One ([link removed]) warns that the order will create administrative burdens and uncertainty for state and local election officials.
** California Launches Digital Democracy Program.
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California will pilot a new program ([link removed]) to support community conversations about important topics using digital platforms. OCP recommends that all states adopt formats and technologies to encourage widespread participation in public decision-making.
** Boston Announces Winners of First-ever Participatory Budgeting Cycle.
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Boston residents selected five winning projects in the city’s first-ever participatory budgeting cycle ([link removed]) , a process that advocates say successfully engaged more residents in deciding how to spend taxpayer dollars. Participatory budgeting is gaining a foothold in other major American cities, including Durham, North Carolina ([link removed]) , and Atlanta, Georgia ([link removed]) .
** Seattle Mayor Seeks to Renew Democracy Voucher Program.
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Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell proposed renewing the city’s Democracy Voucher Program ([link removed]) . The program, which is set to expire at the end of 2025, is a first-of-its-kind public campaign financing system which aims to increase participation and reduce the influence of money in politics.
** Commemorating America's 250th: 9 Cities to Visit.
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The Utah State House of Representatives introduced a resolution ([link removed]) that designates the whole first week of July 2025 and July 2026 as Independence Week and encourages Utahns to get involved in celebrations. Meanwhile, Boston launched a new campaign ([link removed]) to bring stories of overlooked artists from the city to the forefront of the 250th commemorations. And National Geographic picked 9 cities ([link removed]) to visit for America’s 250th.
** Get Involved
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** Webinar Event: Combatting False Election Information.
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The Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA will host a virtual webinar event with Alice E. Marwick (UNC College of Arts and Sciences), Dr. Kate Starbird (University of Washington), Joshua Tucker (New York University), and Richard L. Hasen (UCLA School of Law) to discuss lessons from the 2024 election and how to combat election disinformation in the future.
DATE: March 31, 2025 | 3 PM ET | Register Here ([link removed])
** Read the Report
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Learn more about the Academy's current efforts to advance reforms to reinvent American democracy and read the Our Common Purpose report here ([link removed]) .
Read the Report ([link removed])
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