I have a confession to make: in the past decade, I have been to exactly one town hall with my member of Congress. It’s a little embarrassing, considering that I’m a former congressional staffer and I design public engagement processes for a living. But having staffed and observed more town halls than I can count, I think a lot of people are, like me, making a rational choice to skip them. That's why Civic Genius is redesigning two Congressional town halls to make constituent engagement more authentic and productive. Read more.

Jillian Youngblood

Executive Director, Civic Genius

Deliberative Democracy Director, National Civic League

Data Reveals Democracy’s Hidden Infrastructure

Silly Presentations, Serious Civic Impact

Public Lands & the Call to Revive Civic Stewardship

Beyond voting and electoral processes, what makes democracy work? Civic infrastructure encompasses a network of organizations that provide everyday people with opportunities to engage, lead, and act together. In a recent article by Scientific Data, researchers introduce MapAgora—a first-of-its-kind series of datasets that map America’s civic infrastructure by examining over 1.7 million nonprofit organizations. Read more.

This year’s All-America City Award Finalists brought their community stories to life through inspiring, poignant, and informative presentations to a jury of civic leaders. With the help of break-dancers, spoken word, music, mascots, and charismatic talk show hosts, the presentations made environmental sustainability approachable, and dare we say...fun? See for yourself by watching the recordings or exploring this year’s photo gallery.

A recent NCR article by Harry Boyte calls for reviving the “commonwealth” tradition—the idea that democracy relies on citizens stewarding & co-creating the public good. This principle is especially relevant today, as bipartisan concern grows over the future of national parks & public lands. Boyte reminds us that these places aren't just natural treasures but civic commons—sustained by the collective effort of “We the People.” Read more.

Building Civic Health and Trust from the Ground Up

Charter Review Ushers in Civic Innovation

Upcoming Promising Practices Webinars

AAC's opening ceremony featured a fireside chat exploring how communities are strengthening civic life by deepening trust, improving civic health, and supporting local engagement. Frederick Riley (Weave: The Social Fabric Project, Aspen Institute), Mary Thomas (CFLeads), and moderator Kyle Hybl (El Pomar Foundation) led a powerful conversation on how we can better recognize, resource, and scale grassroots efforts that bring people together.

Watch.

Decatur, Georgia is launching a groundbreaking Charter Review Commission, with support from the League. For the first time in the U.S., a city is using sortition, or a civic lottery, to help select members of a charter review commission. This means that commission members will be randomly selected, demographically representative, and reflective of the city’s diversity. This group will shape one of the most fundamental documents of local governance: the city charter. Read more.

The League’s Promising Practices webinar series is back. Later this month, we’ll spotlight United Against Hate Week (October 19–25), a national call for civic action that brings together neighbors, institutions, and local leaders to stand against hate and bias and strengthen belonging. Join us on August 21 to learn practical ways individuals and communities can get involved or lead local efforts. In July, we featured Civic Genius’ It’s Your America program; if you missed it, you can catch the recording here.