An update on state legislative and regulatory activities concerning independent citizen-redistricting commissions.

Danielle Allen, who cochairs the Academy's bipartisan Commission on democratic citizenship, writes "We need a new social compact." In this column, she writes about why it's time and what it might include - with examples drawn from the Commission's report Our Common Purpose.

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post presents the recommendations in “Our Common Purpose” on social media and disinformation as key to restoring American democracy.

Financial Statements

ARISE II cochair Keith Yamamoto argues that knocking down boundaries between scientific disciplines would reveal great new opportunities; indeed, a new game.

Barbara J. Meyer accepts the Francis Amory Prize and gives a brief presentation about the fundamentals of sex and death.

In collaboration with the Ash Center at the Harvard Kennedy School, the Academy hosted a discussion on “Redistricting and Representation,” which included presentations by Gary King, Jamal Greene, and Moon Duchin. Chief Judge Patti Saris moderated the program.

The Winter 2022 issue of Daedalus, "Creating a New Moral Political Economy," explores what it would take to develop an economy that promotes more equal footing across the polity, marketplace, and workplace. Daedalus is an open access publication and all 11 essays and 22 responses are online.

The Academy holds virtual events as well as in-person events around the country and the world that bring members, representatives of the Affiliates, and others together to explore topics of national and global concern.

Academy members and guests attended a matinee performance of Robert Glaudini's The Poison Tree, in its world premiere at the Mark Taper Forum. After the show, they adjourned to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for dinner and the Stated Meeting, presided over by Western Center Cochair Jack W. Peltason.

An article by Martha Nussbaum

For the past two years, members of the Academy’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship have engaged in research, round tables, and discussions about strengthening American democracy in the 21st century. Now, as the impact of COVID-19 surges through every aspect of American society, Commission members are applying their expertise in public policy and civic and political engagement to meet and understand critical challenges at the local and national levels.

A list of all active Members, arranged by Class and Section, Affiliation, or Year of Election, is available on the Academy’s website at www.amacad.org/directory.

The American Academy’s “Heart of the Matter” Report Continues To Inspire Action

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has published a new collection of essays, Using Imaging to Identify Deceit: Scientific and Ethical Questions, examining the scientific support for using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to recognize deception.