The health of our democracy concerns many of us right now. Anxiety is surging over stories of conflict and political violence around the nation — from assassination attempts to shootings at campaign offices. Yet there are glimmers of good news, too. Green shoots of democracy are growing all around us, if we care to look.
Last week, the National Civic League launched a Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map. This map captures a vibrant field of grassroots organizations working to secure healthy democracy all over the country. The map currently represents more than 1,300 organizations from 10 states — including Alaska, Texas and Georgia. The entire database has about 13,000 organizations nationwide, and every two weeks the information for 10 more states will be released.
Think of the map as something like a modern white pages for civic life. Are you itching to make a difference in your community, or for our democracy, but can’t stand the polarized electoral landscape any longer? You are not alone. Hundreds of thousands of people are rolling up their sleeves with their neighbors to make democracy healthier, fueled by the belief that healthy democracy at the grassroots level can help us reset our toxic national political culture.
The featured organizations focus on voting rights, the renovation of election systems, preventing political violence and community service opportunities. The groups are also diverse in scope and size. On the map, one can find long-standing democracy stalwarts such as League of Women Voters chapters and AmeriCorps, as well as newer organizations such as the League of Independent Voters of Texas, the Community for the Advancement of Family Education in Washington state, the Bennet Community Builders Association in Nebraska and Citizens Count in New Hampshire.
Most exciting of all: The map reveals network connections among the organizations, making nodes of common purpose visible. For instance, 258 of the groups are part of a coalition to advance civic learning; 393 are in the Listen First Coalition, which works to bring Americans together across divides and boost collaboration; 22 are part of the Trust Network, which aims to prevent political violence.
The map is designed to make it easier to connect with your civically engaged neighbors, who in recent decades haven’t been easy to find.
Back in 2000, political scientist Robert D. Putnam gripped the nation with his book “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community,” in which he told a story of declining civic participation. Americans, he argued, were growing estranged from one another due to long commutes that eat into the time for civic life, TV-watching habits that had displaced more communal forms of leisure and other social factors.
