Theory of Change
“A democratic society is a set of shared ideals, right? It only works as a group. That’s sort of its definition. . . And that…can become a vicious circle. The worse the system’s working, the less effort people are going to put into the system; it’s a potential vicious circle we get into.” - Ellsworth, ME
The conditions described in Our Common Purpose affect everyone in America and are inherently intertwined. The Commission’s recommendations seek to renew the practice of democratic citizenship through reforms to three fundamental spheres of democratic life: political institutions and processes, civic culture, and civil society organizations and activities. While the United States has seen various efforts at reform over the past decade, most focus on only one component of this dynamic ecosystem at a time.
A healthy constitutional democracy depends on a virtuous cycle in which responsive political institutions foster a healthy civic culture of participation and responsibility, while a healthy civic culture—a combination of values, norms, and narratives—keeps our political institutions responsive and inclusive. Institutions and culture intersect in the realm of civil society: the ecosystem of associations and groups in which people practice habits of participation and self-rule and reinforce norms of mutual obligation. The virtuous cycle has by definition no start point and no end point.