Applause for new voters is the best part of my time as a poll watcher. Whenever the call goes out – “First time voter” – the election workers in the room break out in smiles and cheers and clapping while the (usually) young person who just cast their vote smiles back bashfully.
Some people don't think that politics and religion mix. Public figures like Bill Maher can be incredibly disrespectful and dismissive on this topic, and the nation’s founders were divided on the issue. But it’s [...]
The takeover of the Republican Party by anti-democracy extremists and the intra-party friction it generated, on full display in the House of Representatives’ battles over the House speakership this year, has been the big [...]
Although difficult to sustain, democracy builds its foundations on diversity and on the contest of ideas in the political space. Today, this very idea of diversity within a democracy has become a ubiquitous wedge [...]
Contrary to most political and media expectations, democracy stood its ground in the November elections. But even before all the votes were counted and the celebrations subsided, the Washington Post unintentionally gave us a [...]
If you haven’t yet realized that we are beyond politics as usual, consider the reaction we had after posting our updated problem brief, Threats to Voting Rights, to Facebook: Someone posted in reply “#WeAreNOTaDemocracy” [...]
Americans are facing a choice between government by a frequently shifting set of powers that are reliant on a constant framework for rulemaking (“democracy”) and one immoveable power that bends the rules at will [...]
We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the [...]
Back in March, Robin Stevens Payes, one of the writers contributing to The American Leader, suggested that we do a profile on Lisa Fitzpatrick, a doctor who has a unique approach to improving health [...]
but it’s often lost in the 24/7 news stream or distorted or obscured,
often intentionally so, by the people who make the news.
The American Leader offers historical storylines and problem briefs to
home in on what’s really happening beneath the surface of today’s headlines.
We sift through the info stream for you, consulting and processing
hundreds of sources that may not make the headlines to connect the dots and
clarify the problems we face and showcase the efforts being made to solve them.
It’s time-consuming work that needs your support.
but it’s often lost in the 24/7 news stream or distorted or obscured, often intentionally so, by the people who make the news. The American Leader offers historical storylines and problem briefs to home in on what’s really happening beneath the surface of today’s headlines. We sift through the infostream for you, consulting and processing hundreds of sources to connect the dots and clarify the problems we face and showcase the efforts being made to solve them. It’s time-consuming work that needs your support.
We have to expect more to get more. We can make this a better country but only if we believe improving on the status quo is possible. A lot of people do believe and are hard at work to solve our systemic problems. We bring you their stories.
