Amid election deniers and political polarization, it's easy to overlook the times when democracy is actually working. We do that this week in a hopeful conversation about resident-centered government. Elected officials and administrative staff like city planners often have the best intentions when it comes to development and redevelopment, but political and professional incentives push them to pursue projects that lure in outsiders rather than serving people who live in their communities.
Our guest this week is Michelle Wilde Anderson, a professor of property, local government, and environmental justice at Stanford Law School and the author of The Fight to Save the Town: Reimagining Discarded America. The book tells the stories of revitalization efforts in Stockton, California, Josephine, Oregon, Lawrence, Massachusetts, and Detroit, Michigan. In each instance, residents organized to fix small problems that turned into large-scale change. It's a model that anyone can replicate and our democracy will be stronger for it.
The Fight to Save the Town by Michelle Wilde Anderson
How elected strongmen weaken democracy
30 years of democracy in South Africa
David Hogg on leaders we deserve
Democracy is the sum of us
Cassidy Hutchinson on what comes after January 6
How discontent destabilizes demoracy
A different take on social media and democracy
How to combat political extremism
A different kind of political divide
Tim Alberta on evangelicals and Republicans
How election officials are preparing for the year ahead
Finding hope in 2024
Year in review: Media, mental health, and threats to democracy
Making Peace Visible: The state of democracy in India
Does mandatory civic education increase voter turnout?
A deep look at political loss
When populism and democracy collide
Understanding union voters
A conflict at the heart of our political disagreements
What can we learn from early democracies?
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