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civic engagement

Maybe We’d Behave Better With Horrible Winters

Can Californians Ever Be As Civically Engaged As Minnesotans Are?

 

In measures of civil engagement, Minnesota ranks at the top, and California ranks near the bottom. Minnesotans vote, get involved with community organizations, and build up social capital in a way that Californians can only envy. What are Californians lacking–more time? A kick in the rear? In advance of the Zócalo event in Fresno “Is Social Isolation a Threat to Democracy?” we asked several Minnesotans and Californians to weigh in on the question of whether Californians can ever become as civically engaged as Minnesotans.

Maybe–because Minnesota has overcome its …

June 4, 2012

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You’re an American: So What?

Some Thoughts On What We Ought to Expect Of U.S. Citizens

April 3, 2012

 

Some people are born with American citizenship. Some people have to earn it. Either way, most of them recognize they have something to feel fortunate about. But should they feel …

Municipal Mouse Click

How Local Government is Going Online

October 27, 2011

Someday you may be able to respond to the mayor’s poll on a new tax, offer a proposal for your neighbors to consider, and vote on a new ordinance before …

We’ll Build Our Own Darn Roads

The New Economic Realities Will Change Our Relationship to Government—Maybe For the Better

by David B. Smith and Pete Peterson | October 24, 2011

The sun-washed Polihale State Beach Park in Kauai seems an unlikely place to see the changing face of governance, but there we catch a glimpse of the new relationship forming …

It’s Up to You

Making Direct Democracy More Deliberative

by James Fishkin | June 22, 2011

California has long led the nation in trying to involve the public directly in the making of laws – this year marks the 100th anniversary of California’s initiative process. Ever …

Stated Loyalty

Let's Pledge Allegiance to the Flag ... of California

by Patrick Atwater | May 22, 2011

In the rhetorical crescendo of his inaugural, if not his governorship thus far, Jerry Brown claimed that “We can overcome the sharp divisions that leave our politics in perpetual gridlock, …

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Essay

How Minnesota Teachers Invented a Proto-Internet More Centered on Community Than Commerce

In 1967, Eighteen School Districts Around the Twin Cities Created a Computing Network Connecting More Than 130,000 Students

by Joy Lisi Rankin|February 21, 2019

In 1971, three student-teachers in the Minneapolis public school system created the computer game The Oregon Trail for students in their American history class. In this game, players could imagine …

Essay

California’s Engagement Gap

Why We Don't Talk Politics, And Why It Matters

by Pete Peterson|May 15, 2011

“Washington is Hollywood for ugly people” is a bipartisan quip variously attributable to political figures from Republican Senator John McCain to Democratic adviser Paul Begala. Given recent survey data measuring …

Connecting California

Why Does California Hate Public Participation?

Real Civic Engagement Requires Both Money and Robust Infrastructure

by Joe Mathews|March 11, 2019

Los Angeles is a city of more than four million people. And in its next budget, it might—I repeat, might—launch an Office of Civic Engagement to help all residents better …

The Voyage Home

Tater Tot Hotdish, Minnesota Soul Food

My Home State’s Favorite No-Fuss Meal Is a Tribute to Its No-Nonsense Spirit

By Lori Ostlund|February 29, 2016

I am a Minnesota writer. I realized this only after my first book was published in 2009. One reader called it “a crash course in being Minnesotan.” Reviewers noted that …


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  • Ideas
    • Essays
    • Interviews
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    • Dispatches
  • Chronicles
    • Poetry
    • Prizes
    • Readings
    • Where I Go
    • Letters to Zócalo
  • Viewings
    • Highlight Videos
    • Glimpses
    • Sketchbook
  • Explorations
    • Inquiries
    • What It Means to Be American
    • Hawai’i in the Public Square
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
    • The Takeaway
    • In the Green Room
  • About
    • Mission
    • Masthead
    • Advisory Board
    • Partners
    • Contact Us
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