A project of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences

Local Democracy

Local Democracy

Supporting local efforts to strengthen American democracy.

An initiative to address the unique challenges faced by practitioners working to reduce polarization and strengthen American constitutional democracy at the local level.

Community-based work is crucial to the effort to strengthen American democracy.  At the local level, people meet face-to-face, civic culture is born, and policy has an immediate and visible impact on people’s day-to-day lives. Place-based democracy work, however, persistently faces challenges that are different from those faced by initiatives with a more national scope.  

In June 2025, the Academy convened a diverse working group of practitioners and scholars to address the broader challenges associated with place-based work. This working group will seek to:  

  • Make the case for the importance of local efforts to strengthen democracy. 

  • Address how such work should be defined. 

  • Outline concrete steps that local and national stakeholders can take to support place-based work.   

Local Democracy Working Group 

  • Archon Fung, Harvard Kennedy School (Co-Chair)

  • Martha McCoy, Past President, Paul J. Aicher Foundation (Co-Chair)

  • Richard Young, CivicLex (Co-Chair)

  • Courtney Bengtson, Wichita Foundation

  • Charlie Brown, Trust for Civic Life

  • Kayla DeMonte, Citizen University

  • Hollie Russon Gilman, New America

  • Shamichael Hallman, Urban Libraries Council

  • Darryl Holliday, News Futures, Commoner Company

  • Liz Joyner, The Village Square

  • Matt Leighninger, Center for Democracy Innovation, National Civic League

  • Carolyn Lukensmeyer, National Institute for Civic Discourse

  • Bridget Marquis, Reimagining the Civic Commons

  • David Martinez III, Vitalyst Health Foundation

  • Andrew Perrin, Johns Hopkins University

  • Steve Rathgeb Smith, Georgetown University 

To learn more about this initiative, please contact Jessica Lieberman.