May was another busy month for the pro-democracy movement. Utah passed a law to empower individuals to own their digital identities, while Boston took an important step toward adopting ranked choice voting.

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In May, cities, states, colleges and universities, and nonprofit leaders advanced new efforts and new ideas to strengthen democracy. Utah passed a law ([link removed]) to empower individuals to own their digital identities, while Boston took an important step ([link removed]) toward adopting ranked choice voting. A coalition of college and university presidents announced a campaign ([link removed]) to champion civil discourse and democratic engagement in this year’s commencement season. Pearce Godwin wrote in The Chronicle of Philanthropy
([link removed]) that nonprofit leaders need to broaden their appeal with conservatives. And More in Common released a compelling report
([link removed]) that examines Gen Z’s attitudes toward democracy. Read on for more new reports, resources, and upcoming events.

** What Can Be Learned from International Perspectives on Autocracy and Democracy?
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On May 21, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences hosted a virtual program: What Can Be Learned from International Perspectives on Autocracy and Democracy? ([link removed]) The discussion featured distinguished panelists Kim Lane Scheppele (Princeton University), Timothy Snyder (University of Toronto), Miguel Angel Lara Otaola (Electoral Integrity Project) and moderator Stephen B. Heintz (Rockefeller Brothers Fund), who shared their perspectives on democracies around the globe and the role each of us play in ensuring a strong American democracy.

** Stories from the Field
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** New Data Illuminates State of Arizona's Civic Health.
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Center for the Future of Arizona released new data ([link removed]) on Arizona’s civic health that reveals significant strides in volunteerism, community collaboration and consumer activism, as well as opportunities to strengthen public participation and civic dialogue.

** College Presidents Announce New Campaign to Champion Civil Discourse and Democratic Engagement.
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A coalition of college and university presidents from across the country announced From Campus to Community ([link removed]) , a new national campaign to champion civil discourse and democratic engagement in this year’s commencement season.

** Katherine J. Cramer and Jonathan Cohen: Accurately Measuring Economic Sentiment Will Help U.S. Economy and Democracy.
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As part of a new essay series for the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, Katherine J. Cramer, cochair of the Academy’s Commission on Reimagining Our Economy, and Jonathan Cohen, Senior Program Officer at the Academy, argue for reimagining ([link removed]) how the economy is measured, including measuring political voice as a crucial component of well-being.

** Business for America Launches Initiative to Rebuild Trust Across the Aisle.
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Business for America hosted an exclusive Capitol Hill event featuring U.S. Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) to kick off a new initiative ([link removed]) that will bring together members of Congress and business leaders to combat hyperpartisanship.

** More in Common Report: Is Gen Z Giving Up on Democracy?
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A new report ([link removed]) from More in Common analyzes Gen Z’s attitudes toward democracy and finds that young Americans, while largely not inclined toward authoritarianism, are underwhelmed with the country’s current version of democracy.

** Civic Genius and YOUnify Promote Citizen Assemblies in Rochester.
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Civic Genius partnered with YOUnify to develop citizen assemblies to engage residents in Rochester, New York in long-form discussions intended to develop solutions to common problems. Jillian Youngblood, Executive Director of Civic Genius, spoke ([link removed]) with WXXI Radio about how the process works.

** CivXNow Announces Plan to Strengthen K-12 Civics Education.
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In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5-9), CivxNow shared a five-point plan ([link removed]) to strengthen K-12 civics education at the local, state, and national levels.

** Everyday Democracy Launches Cultural Program to Engage Communities in Dialogue.
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Everyday Democracy launched Arts, Culture, & Democracy ([link removed]) , a new program that will build partnerships with museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions to engage communities in storytelling and co-creation.

** New Report Illustrates Experts' Concerns about American Democracy.
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Bright Line Watch published a new report ([link removed]) based on surveys of 760 political scientists that sheds light on how experts view the state of our democracy and what they see as the biggest threats.

** In the News
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** Pearce Godwin: You Need Conservatives. Here's How to Engage Them in Your Mission.
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Writing in The Chronicle of Philanthropy ([link removed]) , Pearce Godwin, Founder of Listen First Project and Senior Director of Urban Rural Action, outlines how nonprofit leaders can improve engagement with conservatives.


** Daniel Ziblatt: How Will We Know When We have Lost Democracy?
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In a New York Times essay ([link removed]) , Academy member Daniel Ziblatt and political scientists Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way urge American civil society to act collectively to resist authoritarianism.

** NYT: Monticello Exhibit Invites Visitors to Reflect on Past Eras of American Polarization.
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“Founding Friends, Founding Foes ([link removed]) ,” a new tour at Monticello, explores the vicious partisan politics of the 1790s and invites guests to reflect on parallels with today’s toxic partisanship. Ahead of the tour’s launch, leaders from OCP Champions BridgeUSA and Living Room Conversations trained Monticello tour guides on strategies to foster civic connection.

** Seattle Times Opinion: Everyone Wants Colleges to Produce Good Citizens. No One Knows How.
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In an opinion piece for The Seattle Times ([link removed]) , Andrew J. Perrin and Christian Lundberg explain that teaching students to listen, argue productively, evaluate evidence and work together even when they disagree should be the core of a revitalized university civic education.

** Legislative Updates
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** Utah Passes Law on Social Media Data Portability and Interoperability.
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Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R-UT) signed the Digital Choice Act, ([link removed]) a law that will require every social media platform operating in the state to make personal data portable and will give Utah residents the right to move their content and relationships across social media platforms. In a statement ([link removed]) , Governor Cox noted that this new law will empower individuals to own their digital identities, while fostering competition and creating a safer online environment. The Our Common Purpose report recommends similar legislation at the federal level. OCP Champion Project Liberty hosted a conversation ([link removed]) with Representative Doug
Fiefia (R-UT), the bill’s sponsor, on how laws like this can help rebalance power online.

** Federal and State Legislative Update: Ranked Choice Voting.
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Our Common Purpose ([link removed]) recommends that states enact ranked-choice voting (RCV) for presidential, congressional, and state elections. Nine states (Maine, Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Hawaii) currently use RCV for at least some parts of their elections. Seventeen states are considering legislation in 2025 to adopt RCV, while thirteen states currently prohibit RCV for their elections.

RCV remains popular at the municipal level. For example, Boston’s City Council ([link removed]) recently voted to adopt RCV for municipal elections. The proposal now requires the Mayor’s signature, the State Legislature’s approval, and approval from voters via a ballot measure. New York City ([link removed]) has used RCV since 2021 and will use it again in its upcoming mayoral primary. In 2024, District of Columbia voters passed Initiative 83 ([link removed])) , which establishes RCV in local elections and opens primaries to independent voters. However, RCV opponents in Congress have tried to ban its use in D.C. by introducing the American
Confidence in Elections Act
([link removed]) (H.R. 4563).

Other federal efforts to limit use of RCV include the One Vote One Choice Act ([link removed]) (H.R. 3704) and Preventing Ranked Choice Corruption Act ([link removed]) (H.R.3040). Meanwhile, Pro-RCV advocates are working to re-introduce the Fair Representation Act ([link removed]) and the Ranked Choice Voting Act ([link removed]) to establish RCV for congressional elections.

Learn more about the status of all these efforts here ([link removed]) .

** Get Involved
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** Apply: Protect Democracy State Campaign Strategist.
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Protect Democracy is hiring a State Campaign Strategist to supercharge efforts to advance proportional representation through state ballot initiatives. Apply here ([link removed]) .


** Survey for Pro-Democracy Practitioners & Organizations.
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A new survey from Bridge Alliance seeks to surface insights about the state of the pro-democracy community and strategies that might unify and strengthen the field. Take the survey here ([link removed]) .

** Call for Entries: Innovative Election Administration Funding Solutions.
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Auburn University is seeking groundbreaking, practical solutions to address the critical issue of adequate funding for election administration as part of a new contest ([link removed]) that will award cash prizes to the top five winners. Apply by August 1, 2025.
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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]) .
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