The Power of Good News

The Civic Circle’s newsletter, The Civic Voice, spotlights civic success stories that are often overlooked in what can seem like a steady stream of bad news.

Sharing civic good news can help counter the sense of powerlessness and even defeatism that many Americans feel today. It’s crucial to shine a light on where leaders, government and democracy have fallen short. Yet when we harp excessively on democracy’s failings, we unwittingly become part of the problem. The biggest threat to democracy today may be Americans’ sense that nothing they do will make a difference. Our message to kids—and to adults—is that our behavior and actions define our public life.

In the latest issue of The Civic Voice, we talk about the “viral paradox” created by our current public health crisis. The coronavirus has shut down civic spaces, yet our best hope of slowing its spread lies with individual citizens. Similarly, our government’s weak institutional response has been tempered by an inspiring and distinctly American outpouring of civic compassion. Read the whole newsletter HERE.

The February Civic Voice looks at historic inequities in civic learning, a topic I explored in depth in an article in The Fulcrum. That newsletter also shares news about students rebuilding Somalia, and stepping in where government has failed, and a growing community of online “sleuths” who have taken it upon themselves to scour the web to fight and counteract disinformation. Read the whole February issue HERE.

And in November, we looked at the need for adult news literacy, the growing popularity of the U.S. Constitution as a “hot new read,” and a report on how Congress—contrary to popular opinion—is actually getting less polarized. You can read that whole issue HERE. And to receive The Civic Voice in your email inbox, along with other Civic Circle news, please sign up HERE.