Could local civic life save American democracy?
In The News Piece in Reimagining the Civic Commons

Sept. 24, 2024
Hollie Russon Gilman was interviewed for Reimagining the Civic Commons about the civic projects popping up across the country.
According to Dr. Hollie Russon Gilman, a senior fellow at New America, an affiliate fellow at Harvard’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and a senior advisor at the Trust for Civic Life, these efforts strengthen not only the communities that participate in them — they also have the power to fortify American democracy.
“People in local communities are coming together,” Russon Gilman said. “They’re solving problems. They’re working with their neighbors. They’re using collective, participatory mechanisms to reimagine their civic life.”
We spoke with Russon Gilman about the innovative and impactful ways communities are engaging residents in local civic life. Today we highlight four insights from our discussion.