The American Leader

22/05/2024

Over the last couple of years, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bused unauthorized immigrants to cities far from the southern border, bringing new attention to the immigration problem. Now Welcoming America has brought attention to why some immigrants are seeking asylum in the US: climate change. With many climate scientists now expecting global temperature to increase well beyond the 1.5°C limit that was targeted in Paris, we can expect to see many more climate refugees following the well-trodden path to our borders. Welcoming America offers guidance to communities expecting an influx of new immigrants, but will it be enough?

Texas Gov. Abbott and Welcoming America may be resetting the politics around immigration and climate change.

06/05/2024

For those looking for ways to help, Danielle Allen's got some ideas ...

Want to help renovate American democracy? Contributing Opinion columnist Danielle Allen will show you how in this 10-week email course.

24/04/2024

Is it possible for a political party to get stronger even as it fractures? That’s the question hanging over American politics as the Republican Party has increasingly divided itself into pro-Trumpists, never-Trumpists, and politically-convenient Trumpists.

The Republican Party has consolidated around Trump and seems stronger even while opposed by growing numbers of never-Trump Republicans

06/04/2024

Ty Seidule, a former "tanker" (cavalry officer in the 82nd Airborne) and current professor of history at Hamilton College is doing all he can to make sure that Southern boys like him (he grew up in Virginia) and no one else have reason to believe in the nobility of the Confederate cause.

Problem Addressed Educating for Democracy Solution Re-educated himself about the real history of Robert E. Lee, the Civil War, and the Lost Cause before bringing that history to the rest of the country through multiple channels. Location Hamilton, NY Impact National What he's done Leveraging

18/03/2024

What are the problems you want government to fix?

The country’s soaring national debt is not just a testament to our lack of fiscal responsibility but also a reflection of our loss of national identity. Fixing the debt problem so that it no longer threatens a national economic crisis is an opportunity to reassess our priorities and reassert who w...

05/03/2024

Today's letter succinctly explains the GOP's approach to lawmaking - through the courts, not Congress. Especially on Super Tuesday, this should make voters very, very angry.

Today the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that states cannot remove Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential ballot. Colorado officials, as well as officials from other states, had challenged Trump’s ability to run for the presidency, noting that the third section of the Fourteenth Amendment prohib...

04/03/2024

It's not an easy thing to understand, but as the new Dune movie reminds us, in the desert every drop of water is precious.

Recently released government projections estimate the national debt will grow by $21.2 trillion over the next 10 years – a 78% increase raising the debt to more than $48 trillion. As bad as that sounds, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a bipartisan group that advocates for fiscal re...

29/01/2024

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 religion, the expression of personal faith, that is the lifeblood of democracy.

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 religion, the expression of personal faith, that is the lifeblood of democracy. The f...

18/01/2024

Emma Petty Addams is a woman of faith who believes that religious expression has a role in democracy provided that it adds constructively to political debate and is not weaponized to manipulate or coerce.

Problem Addressed Threats to Voting Rights Solution Provides leadership to a faith-based, pro-democracy movement committed to building a new political center based on principled citizenship Location Omaha, NE Impact National What she's doing As executive director at Mormon Women for Ethical Governme...

08/01/2024

Jenny Zimmer has honed her organizing skills to combat climate change and threats to our elections and voting rights. When we first talked, she identified two key decision points that changed her career path, and added a third afterwards.

Problem Addressed Climate Change, Threats to Voting Rights Solution Trained to be a movement organizer Location North Carolina Impact National What she's done Jenny Marienau Zimmer trained to be a movement organizer, an essential role in democracy that rarely gets the media spotlight. After nearly

06/12/2023

The news media’s adoption of GOP caricatures of a red-blue divide normalized and obscured the rise of party extremists. Imagine, instead, if the media had focused on the growing divide within the Republican Party between constitutional conservatives and the election-deniers now running the party.

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 political story of this century. Only now is the story beginning to get the c...

03/11/2023

A must read for people like Bill Maher, who on his show last week made a blanket denouncement of "elite" campuses for the abhorrent response of some representatives of those institutions. Such misinformation is irresponsible and feeds into the hateful conspiracies of others.

Universities faced criticism for how students, faculty and administrators reacted to the Israel-Hamas war. Here's how Dartmouth got it right.

26/10/2023

This collection of essays takes apart some of the myths about our history that confuse our politics today. Even though much of it may be familiar to some, almost every entry reveals more detail that is not readily found elsewhere. The last essay, which describes the long historical roots of the lie of voter fraud that led to January 6 and the election denialism we are seeing today, echoes a point we have made on the Leader: Donald Trump and friends merely took an already-weaponized falsehood to its logical conclusion.

In this instant New York Times bestseller, America's top historians set the record straight on the most pernicious myths about our nation's past. The United States is in the grip of a crisis of bad history. Distortions of the past promoted in the conservative media have led large numbers of American...

25/10/2023

Our latest: Efforts to rewrite our election laws and undermine Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis illustrate the tenuous hold our court system has on justice.

Recent judicial decisions indicate our courts remain a bulwark against incursions by those who would subvert our democratic institutions. Donald Trump’s frontrunner status for the Republican nomination, election deniers’ leadership roles in Congress and state and local governments, continued har...

24/09/2023

Great reporting from Chris Hayes that again calls into question whether the "red wave" predicted last year or headlines regarding current polls reflects good journalism or better PR.

Five Thirty Eight compiled the 30 different special elections so far in 2023. In 24 out of these 30 races, Democrats over performed their baseline. “That say...

09/09/2023

These foster parents think we can make better political choices that would eliminate much of the need for volunteers like them. What do you think?

Problem Addressed Income and Wealth Inequality Solution Volunteer to advocate and support neglected and abused children through Vermont's Guardian ad Litem and foster care programs Location Vermont Impact Local What they are doing In their roles as licensed foster parents, Nate Hine and Nellie Penni...

13/08/2023

07/08/2023

02/08/2023

Our latest profile's the Republican leader of the Arizona Democracy Resilience Network, one of four such state-focused groups organized by The Carter Center to combat the election denialism and disinformation that is undermining public trust in elections and generating threats to election workers and a raft of legislation that poses further risks to election integrity.

Problem Addressed Threats to Voting Rights Solution Build a network of community leaders from across Arizona who understand the election process and who are able to reassure the public that the state’s elections are safe, fair, and secure. Location Arizona Impact State What he is doing

18/06/2023

As draws to a close, we envision the of the future. That means buildings, transportation systems, and other infrastructure working together to support healthy, thriving communities. Life can get better as we .

How do we upgrade our habitat while respecting the planet? Here are six ideas.

1) Prioritize clean electricity development for people in energy poverty.

Project Drawdown’s Climate-Poverty Connections report points out that every household deserves to have access to enough energy to support basic well-being. Expanding clean electricity alleviates energy poverty while improving incomes, educational opportunities, and community resilience. https://drawdown.org/publications/climatepoverty-connections-report

2) Learn from other countries and traditions, particularly those who have lived with hot climates for generations.

I love learning about architectural practices that are rooted in local tradition, providing a refuge from the heat with simplicity and beauty. This survey of techniques from AGi architects shows how light (and heat) are managed to make buildings comfortable and beautiful: http://www.agi-architects.com/blog/en/treatments-of-light-from-latticework-to-japanese-shoji/

3) Restructure the built environment for all bodies and all ability levels.

In her book What Can A Body Do, Sara Hendren describes buildings as “action settings” where inventive designs and attention to relationships help us make sense of the space and act in ways that fit our unique bodies. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/561049/what-can-a-body-do-by-sara-hendren/

4) Design for the occupant experience and eliminate comfort-related waste.

In his book Thermal Comfort Principles and Practical Applications for Residential Buildings, Robert Bean points out that comfort drives retrofit decisions more than energy use, and creating spaces we can’t use due to discomfort is a waste of resources. Upgrade your thermal comfort knowledge with free access: https://www.healthyheating.com/Thermal_Comfort_Book.htm

5) Support the ecological needs of nonhuman species that live or migrate in the area.

Our built environment can encroach on critical habitat for other forms of life and put them in danger. Accommodating other species can help us feel more connected to the larger world within our cities, too. This article from science journalist Chris Baraniuk provides several examples: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210727-how-to-boost-biodiversity-and-attract-wildlife-to-your-home

6) Respect dark skies.

I wish viewing the Milky Way could be part of everyone’s spiritual heritage, but most of us can’t see it at night. Our built environment creates so much light pollution that our natural rhythms are disrupted, and other animals lose their lives. Limiting, directing, and carefully selecting outdoor lighting will conserve resources and keep us stargazing: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/light-pollution/

Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash

11/06/2023

It’s not one grand solution but lots of small ones that will create the culture we need for a more sustainable future.

By responding to sunlight and weather, dynamic glass can reduce a building’s energy load for heating, cooling, and lighting. More effective windows lower emissions.

17/05/2023

Who doesn't think the very rich should pay more in taxes? One group of American millionaires thinks its their patriotic duty to pay their fair share - if only Congress would rewrite the tax code to make it so. Now that group is looking to enlist voters to support their effort.

In launching the Great Economy Project, a group of American millionaires have deepened their resolve to ensure that they and their fellow wealthy Americans pay their fair share in support of the country that enriched them. The project’s goal is to start a grassroots movement that will focus voters...

12/05/2023

Minnesota’s approach to encourage participation in elections and defend those who protect the integrity of our elections:

Read more here.

12/04/2023

Kendra Abkowitz knows her job. As an advocate for sustainable solutions to climate change, first in the Tennessee state government and now in Nashville, she seems as if she would be constantly swimming against the current in order to get things done. But she doesn't see it that way. In a state that has embraced the culture war and the climate denialism and attacks on democracy that are part of the battle, she finds ways to move with the current while still advancing the cause of sustainability and resilience.

Problem Addressed Climate change Solution Made progress on climate change in a culture that mostly has denied the merits of climate science Location Nashville, TN Impact Local, State What she did For more than a decade, Kendra Abkowitz has been making progress on climate

15/03/2023

From Heather Cox Richardson: A bit of history, and especially Maine history, as well as a nice tribute to "ordinary people from country towns who shared a fear that they were losing their democracy".

Two years ago, in the midst of the pandemic, I whipped off a quick and somewhat flippant letter about why March 15 is a crucially important day in American history. It became one of the most popular things I’ve ever written, so popular that when I was asked to write a book based on these letters, ...

02/02/2023

Our Congress and our democracy are not broken, despite what some may say, but it is dangerously divided and puts the current debt ceiling showdown in uncharted territory. Those who seek to build bridges may need to recognize their limits and instead demand accountability from election deniers and other authoritarians in Congress.

Our Congress has two faces: We saw the authoritarian one during the rancorous vote for House Speaker, while the other is seen in an op-ed that lauds the bipartisan collaboration that produced over 200 recommendations for making Congress work more efficiently. As news consumers and financial markets....

13/01/2023

Despite what the headlines say, Trump's legacy of election denial lives on. Proof: 83% of Trump-endorsed candidates won in November, and the House Freedom Caucus. That does not bode well for 2023.

Last year the federal government made significant and surprising progress on protection of voting rights and democracy, addressing climate change, slowing growth of the national debt, and enhancing access to healthcare. It now needs to take the next steps towards resolving those systemic problems. 2...