During an event at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Atharv Singh, a young civic leader, learned about the importance of institutions such as think tanks in democratic governance. These organisations provide evidence-based policy options, bridging the gap between expert analyses and actionable governance. Singh highlights the need to strengthen India's civic ecosystem.

A quiet moment in A Man on the Inside – a mother questioning her son’s digital friendship – reveals the complexity of civic life in 2025.

The University of Notre Dame will partner with the University of California, Riverside (UCR) and Harvard University to improve civics education in U.S. ...

On this week’s episode of The Codcast, Jim Peyser, who served as secretary of education under Gov. Charlie Baker, talks with CommonWealth Beacon executive editor Michael Jonas about the yearlong series of essays he wrote for CommonWealth Beacon on the need for civil discussion of often controversial issues in an era of polarized debate. Peyser says a healthy democracy depends on our ability to move past the current moment, where opponents are often characterized not as adversaries but enemies, and complex issues, which often involve difficult trade-offs and not just matters of right and...

A new report provides a clear, actionable framework for effective experiential civic learning—what it is, why it matters, and how to do it well.

The Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map is the first comprehensive look at the universe of organizations promoting healthy democracy in America.

Although negative stereotypes about young people persist, their “non-expert expertise” is irreplaceable. This article highlights promising practices and examples, drawn from the author’s two decades of work supporting aspiring teen problem solvers in the public policy arena.

A business must be efficient to drive profits. Government, however, is more like a nonprofit organization. It exists to provide the services we collectively agree are needed. As citizens, it is our responsibility to ensure those services are delivered effectively and at reasonable cost.

The city is looking for residents to help shape the future of Raleigh.

When public opinion and policy decisions don’t line up, what are the reasons? The question, and the answers, matter because they reveal not only how lawmakers make choices but also why the public so often feels unheard.

Find out what happens when citizens take the lead on climate and community

In 2025, the National Civic League invited communities across the geographic and political spectrum to share how they are strengthening local environmental sustainability alongside residents and local partners. Communities showed that despite waning public attention and shrinking funding, tangible progress is possible through creative, inclusive, and sustained action.

The success of public participation is not only dependent on the strategies, tools, and creative forms of engagement that policy professionals prepare in advance but also what happens informally and often unintentionally during the “in between” moments of those processes.