Tuesday’s presidential election couldn’t be more critical to the well-being of our nation. But don’t forget state and local races! In some ways, these elections affect our lives as much as who’s living in the White House.
When it comes to addressing public issues, local governments are often more successful at making a difference and more responsive to our particular points of view. Read more.
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President, National Civic League
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States and Cities Working to Boost Voter Turnout
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Preventing Election-Related Violence
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Fees, Fines,
Equity and Trust
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As we approach the 2020 election during a pandemic that is causing many to not want to vote in person, 34 states have taken actions to make it easier to vote, mostly by facilitating voting by mail or early in-person. According to Fulcrum News, nine states are mailing absentee ballots to all registered voters, twelve others have made it easier to justify the request for an absentee ballot and ten are mailing absentee ballot requests to all voters. A recent Washington Post article calculates that 84% of the nation’s voters can vote by mail without an excuse this year. Read more.
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The Political Stress Indicator (PSI) shows how American democracy is increasingly polarized and, in the buildup to the U.S. 2020 elections, vulnerability to violence is escalating. No matter the results of the U.S. election, community coalition-building and violence mitigation will be key in moving forward as a nation. ‘The TRUST Network,’ convened by Mediators Beyond Borders International (MBBI), seeks to prevent violent conflict before, during, and after the U.S. 2020 elections. Learn more about the TRUST Network and how to join and contribute to this important effort.
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One of the biggest challenges facing American democracy is the decline of trust in public institutions. Polls suggest that local governments enjoy higher levels of trust than, say, the federal government, but such was not always the case. The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) named “trust” as one of the five pillars of its e-book, Foundation for Thriving Communities. More recently the association published a resource aimed at eliminating one obstacle to public trust—the unfair imposition of fees, fines and asset forfeitures. Read more.
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Learning to Solve the Nation's Problems Together
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Fall Edition of National Civic Review Now Available
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Webinar: So You Want to be an All-America City?
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David Mathews, president of the Kettering Foundation, recently penned this article in USA Today on the effectiveness of deliberative practices to create opportunities for people to make better informed decisions together. The National Issues Forums’ 40 years of research and practice in local deliberative forums reveals we truly have more that unites us than divides us; and that by creating intentionally deliberative space, we can allow for better listening, ability to weigh options, and make sounder decisions. Read more.
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Join the National Civic League on November 23rd to learn more about the 2021 All-America City Award Program, which will recognize communities for the strength of their civic capital and community-driven projects that have transformed the community to be more equitable and resilient. Previous winning communities and our jury foreperson, Angela Romans, will be presenting on the AAC journey with tips for applying, the types of projects submitted and an update on the benefits of winning the award. Register today.
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Additional Information and Upcoming Events
2021 All-America City Award Theme Announced
Building Equitable and Resilient Communities
Virtual Book Club
Engaged: A Citizen's Perspective on the Future of Civic Life
Workshop: Building Public Trust in Government
Civic Saturday Gathering, November 7th
Citizen University's Guide for Gathering on Election Night
COVID-19: Resources for Individuals and Governments
National League of Cities: COVID-19: Local Action Tracker Preview
NCDD Event Calendar
The calendar lists upcoming events related to dialogue, deliberation, and civic engagement.
Now accepting article proposals for National Civic Review
We are interested in 1,200-3,000 word articles.
The deadline for the winter issue is December 15th.
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Thank you to National Civic League Sustaining Member Communities:
Asheboro, NC
Aurora, CO
Chula Vista, CA
Decatur, GA
Denver, CO
Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.
Dublin, CA
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Gladstone, MO
Hayward, CA
Illinois Municipal League
Las Vegas, NV
Oakridge Neighborhood, IA
Rancho Cordova, CA
Roanoke, VA
San Antonio, TX
Tallahassee, FL
Tampa Housing Authority
Tupelo, MS
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Thank you to National Civic League Partner Organizations:
American Society for Public Administration
Bridge Alliance
Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation
CGI
Colorado Health Foundation
Government Finance Officers Association
Greenberg Traurig
ICMA-RC
International City / County Management Association
Kaiser Permanente
Kettering Foundation
National Academy of Public Administration
National Coalition on Dialogue and Deliberation
National League of Cities
National Forum for Black Public Administrators
Rawson Family Foundation
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Southwest Airlines
United States Census Bureau
United Way Worldwide
Well Being Trust
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
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