- Founded by Jews United for Democracy and Justice
866OurVote is a national non-partisan election protection coalition working year round to ensure that voters have an equal opportunity to vote and have that vote count. We provide Americans from coast to coast with comprehensive information and assistance at all stages of voting – from registration to absentee and early voting, to casting a vote at the polls, to overcoming obstacles to their participation. Our volunteers provide voter information, document problems they encounter when voting and work with partners and volunteers on the ground to identify and remove barriers to voting.
ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge’s mission is to foster civic culture and institutionalize democratic engagement activities and programs at colleges and universities, making them a defining feature of campus life. By recognizing colleges and universities for their commitment to increasing student voting rates, through its national awards program, ALL IN encourages higher education institutions to help students form the habits of active and informed citizenship, make democratic participation a core value on their campus, and cultivate generations of engaged citizens who are essential to a healthy democracy.
Anti-Defamation League is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is a global leader in exposing extremism and delivering anti-bias education, and is a leading organization in training law enforcement. ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that seeks to improve our systems of democracy and justice. We work to hold our political institutions and laws accountable to the twin American ideals of democracy and equal justice for all. The Center’s work ranges from voting rights to campaign finance reform, from ending mass incarceration to preserving Constitutional protection in the fight against terrorism.
The California Center for Civic Participation is a non-partisan, non-profit civic education organization, engaging high school students by sparking their interest with exposure to real excitement of the democratic process. We believe that youth hold so much untapped and unlimited power to change their communities and their world and we exist to expose and nurture that power.
Learn more about the California Center for Civic Participation and volunteer opportunities.
The Center’s mission is to promote an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy. The Center has reached more than 30 million students and their teachers since 1965.
The Center for Civic Education helps students develop (1) an increased understanding of the institutions of constitutional democracy and the fundamental principles and values upon which they are founded, (2) the skills necessary to participate as competent and responsible citizens, and (3) the willingness to use democratic procedures for making decisions and managing conflict.
The Center for Common Ground empowers under-represented voters through non-partisan voter registration and Get Out the Vote. It provide voter information through door knock canvassing, texting, phone-banking. It also provide free rides to the polls on Election Day.
Learn more about the Center for Common Ground and volunteer opportunities.
Center for Election Innovation & Research engages in cutting-edge work to build voter trust, increase voter participation, and improve the efficiency of election administration. Their work helps elections officials maintain accurate and complete voter lists and secure election technology infrastructure.
Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to ensure open, honest, and accountable government; to promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and to empower all people to make their voices heard as equals in the political process. Common cause works across four major issue areas: voting and elections; money and politics; ethics, transparency and government accountability; and media and democracy.
Learn more about Common Cause and the Common Cause Education Fund.
Democracy North Carolina is a nonpartisan organization that uses research, organizing, and advocacy to strengthen democratic structures, build power among disenfranchised communities, and inspire confidence in a transformed political process that works for all.
ElectionDay.Org engages businesses to provide resources and tools to promote voting within their organizations including information on how to register, voting methods, and relevant deadlines.
Equal Justice Works creates opportunities for lawyers to transform their passion for equal justice into a lifelong commitment to public service. Equal Justice Works is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization and is the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law. Equal Justice Works brings together an extensive network of law students, lawyers, legal services organizations, and supporters to promote a lifelong commitment to public service and equal justice. The organization believes that a community of lawyers committed to public service can fulfill our nation’s promise of equal justice for all. Following their Fellowships, more than 85% of Equal Justice Works Fellows remain in public service positions, continuing to pursue equal justice for underserved communities.
Learn more about Equal Justice Works and available volunteer opportunities.
The Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN) is a project of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Center for Election Innovation & Research. EOLDN connects licensed, qualified, pro bono attorneys with election administrators who need advice or assistance. Election workers from all over the country, at the state and local level, can contact EOLDN via this website or by phone (1-877-313-5210) at any time, to request to be connected to a lawyer who can help them, at no cost. This service is available regardless of the election official’s political affiliation, or whether they work in a blue or red state or county.
Learn more about Election Official Legal Defense Network and available volunteer opportunities.
FairVote is a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections for all. They research and advance voting reforms that make democracy more functional and representative for every American. FairVote has a proven record since 1992 as a nonpartisan trailblazer that advances and wins electoral reforms at the local, state and national level through strategic research, communications and collaboration. Today, we are the driving force behind advancing ranked choice voting and fair representation in multi-winner legislative districts that will open up our elections to better choices, fairer representation and more civil campaigns.
HeadCount is a non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy. HeadCount uses a grassroots approach to reach young people and music fans at concerts and online to inform and empower. Like music and democracy? Come work (or volunteer) with us!
Learn about how to be involved at a concert or event near you.
Indivisible is committed to providing civic education, policy resources, strategic guidance, and targeted trainings for groups across the country. It educates and empowers civic leaders at the community level across the country.
Learn more about Indivisible and volunteer opportunities available in several states.
Leaders We Deserve is a grassroots organization dedicated to electing young progressives to Congress and State Legislatures across the country to help defeat the far-right agenda and advance a progressive vision for the future.
The League of Women Voters of the United States encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
The Lincoln Project is a leading pro-democracy organization in the United States — dedicated to the preservation, protection, and defense of democracy. The Lincoln Project launched with two stated objectives. The first was to defeat Donald Trump at the ballot box. The second was to ensure Trumpism failed alongside him. As we have seen, our fight against Trumpism is only beginning. We must combat these forces everywhere and at all times. Our democracy depends on it.
Learn more about The Lincoln Project and available volunteer opportunities.
People For the American Way Foundation conducts research, legal, and education work on behalf of First Amendment freedoms and democratic values; monitors, exposes, and challenges the Religious Right movement and its political allies; identifies, trains, and supports the next generation of progressive leaders through its Young People For youth leadership programs and its Young Elected Officials Network; and carries out nonpartisan voter education, registration, civic participation, and election protection activities.
Project Vote is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded on the belief that an organized, diverse electorate is the key to a better America. Project Vote’s mission is to build an electorate that accurately represents the diversity of this nation’s citizenry, and to ensure that every eligible citizen can register, vote, and cast a ballot that counts.
Project Vote Smart offers services and programs for political journalists to enhance their coverage of politics and elections. The Project partners with more than 300 national, state, and local news organizations, all endorsing Project programs. In addition to comprehensive databases on more than 40,000 candidates and incumbents, the Project provides journalists with special research services and publications. We devote considerable effort to researching information about all candidates for presidential, congressional, gubernatorial and state legislative office and elected officials. Voters thus have access to unbiased information on candidates as well as those serving in elected positions.
Learn more about Project Vote Smart and available volunteer opportunities.
The Public Citizen Foundation supports Public Citizen’s education, litigation, research, and public information activities. Public Citizen is a national consumer advocacy organization founded in 1971 to represent consumer interests in Congress, the executive branch and the courts. Public Citizen fights for openness and democratic accountability in government, for the right of consumers to seek redress in the courts; for clean, safe and sustainable energy sources; for social and economic justice in trade policies; for strong health, safety and environmental protections; and for safe, effective and affordable prescription drugs and health care.
Learn more about Public Citizen and available opportunities.
Rideshare2Vote was created to increase the voice and power of people by expanding their civic engagement and voting rights. We have created a voter touch outreach field program that includes our transportation service specifically for Democratic and progressive voters. Rideshare2Vote focuses our work in disenfranchised communities; voting for the first time; who are not voting in every election; that are disabled; living in poverty and who are elderly.
Learn more about Rideshare2Vote and available volunteer opportunities.
Fusing pop culture, politics, and technology, Rock the Vote works to mobilize the millennial voting bloc and the youth vote, protect voting rights, and advocate for an electoral process and voting system that works for the 21st century electorate. For almost 25 years, Rock the Vote has pioneered ways to make voting easier by simplifying and demystifying voter registration and elections for young adults.
Learn more about Rock the Vote and available volunteer opportunities.
The Andrew Goodman Foundation makes young voices and votes a powerful force in democracy. Our ability to spark their passion — today — will result in change, tomorrow. The Andrew Goodman Foundation supports youth leadership development, voting accessibility, and social justice initiatives on campuses across the country with mini-grants to select institutions of higher learning and other financial assistance to students.
Our vision is that young people will become active, engaged citizens who ensure a just democracy and sustainable future. Join us during this critical time for American democracy and help shape the next generation of civic leaders.
Learn more about The Andrew Goodman Foundation and available volunteer opportunities.
The Center for Public Integrity is dedicated to producing original, responsible investigative journalism on issues of public concern. The mission of the Center for Public Integrity is to protect democracy and inspire change using investigative reporting that exposes betrayals of the public trust by powerful interests. To pursue its mission, the Center generates high-quality, accessible investigative reports, databases, and contextual analysis on issues of public importance; disseminates work to journalists, policymakers, scholars, and citizens using a combination of digital, electronic, and print media; and educates, engages, and empowers citizens with the tools and skills they need to hold government and other private institutions accountable.
The Civics Center is dedicated to building the foundations of youth civic engagement and voter participation in high schools through education, organizing, and advocacy. We support student-led, peer-to-peer voter registration and pre-registration efforts in high school communities.
Learn more about The Civics Center and available volunteer opportunities.
TurnUp is non-profit organization and mobile app that comprises the largest youth-led voter registration and turnout initiative. TurnUp’s 2024 election engagement plans include four integrated programs that work together to increase youth voter registration and turnout: physical registration and turnout drives; relational registration and turnout drives; grassroots organizing; and digital campaigns. TurnUp has Volunteer and Internship positions for high school, college, and recent graduates.
VoteRiders is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with a mission to ensure that all citizens are able to exercise their freedom to vote. VoteRiders informs and helps citizens to secure their voter ID as well as inspires and supports organizations, local volunteers, and communities to sustain voter ID education and assistance efforts. VoteRiders offers a variety of volunteer options including virtual and on the ground positions.
When We All Vote is a leading national, nonpartisan initiative on a mission to change the culture around voting and to increase participation in each and every election by helping to close the race and age gap. Created by Michelle Obama, When We All Vote brings together individuals, institutions, brands, and organizations to register new voters across the country and advance civic education for the entire family and voters of every age to build an informed and engaged electorate for today and generations to come. We empower our supporters and volunteers to take action through voting, advocating for their rights, and holding their elected officials accountable.
Learn more about When We All Vote and available volunteer opportunities.
Resources
Defending our values through knowledge and action.
October 9, 2026
THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2026 @ 10 am
Israeli journalist, author and editor-in-chief of the liberal Israeli national daily Haaretz, Aluf Benn in conversation with Larry Mantle “Israel Heads to the Polls: October 7 Looms Large & the Stakes Couldn’t be Higher”
Aluf Benn has been the Editor in Chief of Haaretz, the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, since 2011. Haaretz is now published in both Hebrew and English. Aluf Benn holds an MBA degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a degree from Tel Aviv University. At Haaretz, Benn has served as investigative reporter and head of the news division. His articles have been published in a variety of international newspapers, including The New York Times, The Guardian, Foreign Affairs and Newsweek.
Larry Mantle has been the host of AirTalk with Larry Mantle on NPR-member station KPCC, 89.3 FM, since April 1st, 1985. AirTalk is the longest-running daily talk show in Southern California.
The National Interest
The Washington Institute
October 6, 2026
Dennis Ross
The memory of October 7, 2023, will still drive Israeli politics no matter which government comes to power after this month’s election.
Three years have passed since Hamas’ murderous 2023 onslaught on Israel. Many observers refer to October 7 without understanding its ongoing psychological effect on Israelis. The Israeli people are suffering from what amounts to post-traumatic stress syndrome—feeding both a deep sense of insecurity and an inability to feel anything but their own pain. Without understanding the depth of Israel’s shock and paralysis, it will prove very difficult to influence Israel’s behavior toward the Palestinians or its approach toward perceived threats. Of course, the Palestinians’ trauma is no less acute, particularly given the death and destruction that Israel inflicted on Gaza after Hamas’s 2023 attack. Yet Israel’s looming election creates at least the possibility of change, provided that the psychic context in which Israelis are operating is understood.
I have long been deeply involved with Israel’s leaders and its people, but I too failed to grasp the depth of the country’s trauma. That became clear to me only after I took part in a “not for attribution” brainstorming session with a small number of Arabs and Israelis. At one point, one Arab participant said that he understood the impact of October 7. His Israeli counterparts responded, “No, you don’t.” One Israeli described the enduring horror in his head: “Seeing what Hamas was doing and would do if we were overrun, I felt I would have no choice but to kill my children.”
It is hard to comprehend the fear and desperation that could lead anyone to contemplate something so unthinkable. Yet the person who said it was no extremist; in fact, he is one of the most thoughtful, moderate Israelis I know—someone with genuine empathy for the Palestinians’ own anguish. But this Israeli saw Hamas killers videotaping every act of murder, taking sadistic pleasure in slaughtering children in front of parents and parents in front of their children. This man did not have to imagine what Hamas would do to his kids; he knew. And so he had concluded that he would have to do the unimaginable to spare them certain torture.
Three years later, along with the suffering of the hostages—who were traumatized, sexually abused, and starved—this is the Israeli image of October 7 and of Hamas. This magnifies threats and makes ensuring security the overwhelming preoccupation.
To continue reading click here
Israel’s Election: HOW DOES IT WORK?
On October 27, 2026, Israelis will head to the polls in an election that will determine the makeup of the next Knesset and begin the process of forming a new government.
Here is the link to the JCJ 2026 Israel Election Guide
This guide explains how Israelis vote, how governments are formed, and provides an overview of the parties competing for seats in the Knesset.
We at JUDJ/America at a Crossroads, are grateful to Jewish Center for Justice for preparing this 2026 Election Guide.
October 5, 2026
This Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 5 PM Pacific, we welcome Michael McFaul who will be in conversation with Larry Diamond on the topic:
“AMERICA VOTES, THE WORLD WATCHES: THE MIDTERMS AND THE GLOBAL BATTLE FOR DEMOCRACY” (Register Here).
Michael McFaul is one of America’s leading experts on Russia, democracy, and U.S. foreign policy. A former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and senior National Security Council official in the Obama administration, he is the Ken Olivier and Angela Nomellini Professor of International Studies in Political Science at Stanford University and a senior fellow at both Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute and Hoover Institution. His latest book, Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder, examines the defining global struggle between democratic and authoritarian systems—and what it means for America’s role in the world.
Larry Diamond is one of the world’s leading scholars of democracy and authoritarianism. He is the Mosbacher Senior Fellow in Global Democracy at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute and the William L. Clayton Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, as well as a professor by courtesy of political science and sociology at Stanford. A founding co-editor of the Journal of Democracy, a role he held for 32 years, Diamond has spent more than four decades studying democratic development and the forces threatening it around the world, with particular expertise on China, Taiwan, and the global struggle between democracy and authoritarianism.
New York Times/Opinion
By Yonatan Touval
October 4, 2026
Israelis Are Exhausted. There Is a Way Out.
Israel’s coming election is best watched from a palace roof in Argos.
Aeschylus’ “Agamemnon,” the first play of the Oresteia trilogy, begins there, with a watchman waiting for the beacon announcing Troy’s fall. His first words: “I pray the gods to quit me of my toils, / To close the watch I keep, this livelong year.” He is not asking for more news. He is asking for the watching to end.
In Israel, the watching never seems to end. The last act before sleep is to reach for the phone on the night stand to check for news. If you wake during the night, you check it again. Before morning coffee, the day begins in the same place: Has something happened in Iran? Has a reserve call-up been announced? What did the government do while you slept?
Being glued to a phone, of course, is now part of the human condition. It is especially acute for Israelis. Before the smartphone era, the beeps signaling the hourly news bulletin on the radio could silence a whole bus. The instrument is new; the habit is not. Israelis check for trouble the way people elsewhere check for rain. But nobody decides the weather.
On Oct. 27, Israelis will vote in their first national election since the catastrophe of Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led attackers killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 others. The election will pass judgment on responsibility for that day and could help decide Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future. Beneath it all lies a more intimate question: Can Israelis recover the ordinary privilege of not having to watch their government all the time?
(To continue reading click here)
Israel’s Election: HOW DOES IT WORK?
On October 27, 2026, Israelis will head to the polls in an election that will determine the makeup of the next Knesset and begin the process of forming a new government.
Here is the link to the JCJ 2026 Israel Election Guide
This guide explains how Israelis vote, how governments are formed, and provides an overview of the parties competing for seats in the Knesset.
We at JUDJ/America at a Crossroads, are grateful to Jewish Center for Justice for preparing this 2026 Election Guide.
September 28, 2026
THIS Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 5 PM Pacific, we welcome Sarah Longwell who will be in conversation with Patt Morrison on the topic:
“HOW TO EAT AN ELEPHANT? ONE VOTER – AND ONE ELECTION – AT A TIME” (Register Here).
Sarah Longwell is CEO and Publisher of The Bulwark, one of the largest and fastest-growing independent media companies in the country, with millions of subscribers across all platforms. She is author of the forthcoming book, How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time and host of The Focus Group podcast, in which listeners hear directly from voters in Sarah’s focus groups. She has decades of experience leading some of the nation’s highest-visibility targeted persuasion campaigns, and is a nationally recognized leader in qualitative research into how voters are feeling about the state of the country. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her family and is a graduate of Kenyon College.
Patt Morrison author, columnist, and broadcast journalist, has a share of two Pulitzer Prizes as a longtime Los Angeles Times writer and columnist. As a public television and radio broadcaster, she has won six Emmys and a dozen Golden Mike awards.
Israel’s Election: HOW DOES IT WORK?
On October 27, 2026, Israelis will head to the polls in an election that will determine the makeup of the next Knesset and begin the process of forming a new government.
Israeli’s parliamentary system works differently from ours, and the many parties and coalition dynamics can be confusing. That’s why we want to share with you the 2026 Israel Election Guide expertly prepared by the non-profit organization Jewish Center for Justice. The Guide offers a clear and accessible resource to help you understand the key facts, the major parties, and what to watch for in the weeks ahead.
Here is the link to the JCJ 2026 Israel Election Guide
This guide explains how Israelis vote, how governments are formed, and provides an overview of the parties competing for seats in the Knesset.
We at JUDJ/America at a Crossroads, are grateful to Jewish Center for Justice for preparing this 2026 Election Guide.
Don’t miss our two upcoming programs on the topic of Israeli Elections:
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2026 @ 10 am
Israeli journalist, author and editor-in-chief of the liberal Israeli national daily Haaretz, Aluf Benn in conversation with Larry Mantle “Israel Heads to the Polls: The Stakes Couldn’t be Higher”
Wednesday, November 11, 2026 @ 5 pm
Veteran American diplomat and Middle East expert who has served for decades in senior national security roles, Dennis Ross in conversation with Madeleine Brand “Israel After the Election: What Changes – and What Doesn’t?”
New York Times/Opinion
By Maureen Dowd
September 5, 2026
It’s crazy to think about Donald Trump outrunning anything.
But in legal terms, the president is an Olympic-class sprinter. He breaks the law so fast that the law is left in his orange dust.
Trump is an outlaw. And our system was not built for an outlaw in the Oval.
He zeros in on loopholes in the law and the system that are based on trust and the assumption that our leaders — and their families — will not be voracious scam artists.
“The Constitution was built on this idea that the president would have enough decency and morality that they just wouldn’t run around exploiting the gaps,” said the Trump biographer Tim O’Brien. “And for Trump, it’s like red meat. This idea that Trump’s mentor was Roy Cohn was profoundly wrong. Donald Trump’s mentor was Fred from day one. His father showed him how to exploit the government system, the legal system and business. His whole worldview is built around the idea that you exploit systems for personal gain, and there’s nothing wrong with doing that because the world’s populated by sharks and you just have to be the biggest shark.”
After running a court that has been complicit in Trump’s defiling our institutions and razing our hallowed spaces, Chief Justice John Roberts seems belatedly alarmed.
“That construction is likely unlawful,” Roberts wrote in his dissent on Monday from his fellow Republican justices’ ruling that the president’s ballroom behemoth — with taxpayers on the hook for over $300 million — can slouch toward completion. Noting that the president was “likely” infringing on Congress, Roberts added, “Today’s decision is no victory for the separation of powers.”
(To continue reading click here)
September 25, 2026
On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 5 PM Pacific, we welcome Sarah Longwell who will be in conversation with Patt Morrison on the topic:
“HOW TO EAT AN ELEPHANT: ONE VOTER – AND ONE ELECTION – AT A TIME” (Register Here).
Sarah Longwell is CEO and Publisher of The Bulwark, one of the largest and fastest-growing independent media companies in the country, with millions of subscribers across all platforms. She is author of the forthcoming book, How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time and host of The Focus Group podcast, in which listeners hear directly from voters in Sarah’s focus groups. She has decades of experience leading some of the nation’s highest-visibility targeted persuasion campaigns, and is a nationally recognized leader in qualitative research into how voters are feeling about the state of the country. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her family and is a graduate of Kenyon College.
Patt Morrison author, columnist, and broadcast journalist, has a share of two Pulitzer Prizes as a longtime Los Angeles Times writer and columnist. As a public television and radio broadcaster, she has won six Emmys and a dozen Golden Mike awards.
September 20, 2026
THIS Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 5 PM Pacific, we welcome Jason Stanley who will be in conversation with Patt Morrison on the topic:
“THE WAR ON TRUTH: PROPAGANDA, HISTORY AND AMERICAN DEMOCRACY” (Register Here).
Jason Stanley is one of the country’s leading scholars of fascism, propaganda, authoritarianism, and the threats they pose to democracy. A philosopher and professor at the University of Toronto, he is the author of several influential books, including How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them, How Propaganda Works, and Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future. Stanley explores how propaganda, attacks on truth and education, and the manipulation of history can be used to weaken democratic institutions and normalize authoritarian ideas.
Patt Morrison author, columnist, and broadcast journalist, has a share of two Pulitzer Prizes as a longtime Los Angeles Times writer and columnist. As a public television and radio broadcaster, she has won six Emmys and a dozen Golden Mike awards.
New York Times
By Jonathan Rauch and Peter Wehner
Mr. Rauch is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Mr. Wehner, a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum, is a contributing Opinion writer.
September 19, 2026
Trump Has Finally Lost the Plot
The frantic pace of the Trump presidency makes days seem like weeks and weeks like months — if not years. Finding rhyme or reason amid President Trump’s erratic conduct is impossible. Even so, while 2026 has not brought calm, it has brought more clarity.
Twenty months into his second term, Mr. Trump has remade the presidency and changed what Americans will tolerate from their government and from one another. Yet that transformation, sweeping as it is, may prove less important than what Mr. Trump and his allies could not do. They failed at the most ambitious project that they brought to his second term: using the state to remake American society. That failure is a central fact of the past 20 months, and it is why the country is in a less dangerous place than it was a year ago.
When Mr. Trump took office for the second time, he arrived with several overlapping but distinct agendas. The one he cared most about would convert the executive branch to a form of government that scholars call patrimonialism, in which the state is run as the leader’s personal property and family concern. In a patrimonialist system, expert bureaucracies and neutral rules are replaced by — or subordinated to — the head of state’s will. Where they can, patrimonialists personalize and weaponize law enforcement, pardons, programs and grants, appointments, promotions and all the other aspects of state power.
(To continue reading click here)
September 14, 2026
This Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 5 PM Pacific, we welcome Adrian Wooldridge who will be in conversation with Larry Mantle on the topic:
“CAN AMERICA MAKE GOVERNMENT WORK AGAIN? THE CRISIS OF COMPETENCE, POPULISM AND TRUST” (Register Here).
Adrian Wooldridge is a prominent British journalist, author and political thinker who writes about the forces reshaping democracy, capitalism and government. He is currently the global business columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and previously spent more than two decades at The Economist, where he served as political editor, Washington bureau chief, and wrote several of its most influential columns. Wooldridge is the author or co-author of numerous books on politics, capitalism and the modern state. His works include “Capitalism in America” with Alan Greenspan. His writing is particularly known for examining why Western institutions succeed or fail—and how liberal democracy can respond to populism, technological disruption and declining trust in government.
Larry Mantle has been the host of AirTalk with Larry Mantle on NPR-member station KPCC, 89.3 FM, since April 1st, 1985. AirTalk is the longest-running daily talk show in Southern California.
Washington Post/Opinion
By Editorial Board
September 11, 2026
Trump launches an unconstitutional attack on the census
Willfully excluding millions from the 2030 count would plainly violate the 14th Amendment.
President Donald Trump was foiled during his first administration when he attempted to change the U.S. census, the decennial head count that determines each state’s representation in Congress. This week, he reignited and escalated that battle, setting up a fresh fight that he should — and probably will — lose again.
The Census Bureau proposed on Wednesday that its next count, in 2030, exclude any non-U.S. citizen without a green card. The administration argued that these individuals are “not true inhabitants, members of the body politic, or persons with a ‘usual residence’ in the United States due to their lack of a sufficient tie and allegiance to the United States.”
Trump, in a Truth Social post last August, put his intentions more bluntly: “People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS.”
No matter your view on immigration, the move would clearly violate the 14th Amendment, which mandates that representation in Congress be apportioned according to “the whole number of persons in each state.” The text makes no mention of the citizenship or legal status of those individuals, nor their “allegiance.”
(To continue reading click here)
Foreign Affairs
Daniel Benjamin and Steven N. Simon
September 11, 2026
9/11 and the Unraveling of American Democracy
For years, the United States’ political dysfunction has been attributed to large-scale social and economic changes. Experts point to the failures of globalization, rising inequality, reduced social mobility, or the long aftermath of the “China shock” more than two decades ago to explain today’s extreme polarization, collapsing trust in institutions, democratic erosion, immigration backlash, and struggling middle class. Yet there is another widely overlooked factor that is equally central to understanding the United States’ current predicament: the war on terror.
Typically, when policymakers and analysts speak of the global war on terror—the defining fact of international affairs for two decades—they discuss the damage done to terrorist groups, the plots that have been thwarted, the rise and fall of jihadi ideology, the many intelligence failures, and, perhaps above all, the two forever wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. These are the scorecards of contemporary counterterrorism. But left out of this framing are the profound effects of this vast war on terror on domestic politics and society.
The human statistics alone tell an appalling story: more than 7,000 U.S. troops were killed in action, 53,000 were wounded, and well over 30,000 took their own lives—a staggering number. According to Brown University’s Costs of War Project, these conflicts added $8 trillion to the U.S. national debt, with trillions more projected in the future for veterans’ health care, including for the half million GIs with traumatic brain injuries and posttraumatic stress disorder.
Yet even these numbers fail to show the myriad ways in which two decades of war transformed the United States.
(To continue reading click here)
Voting Rights and Empowerment
Immigration and Asylum
Equality - Fighting Hate and Discrimination
Freedom of the Press
Voting Rights and Empowerment
CENTER FOR COMMON GROUND’S RECLAIM OUR VOTE CAMPAIGN
Ongoing voter suppression and voter list purging have been disenfranchising millions of eligible voters — especially voters of color. Reclaim Our Vote works in those voter suppression states. Our volunteers inform and mobilize voters of color to make sure they are registered and they know how to get a ballot and vote. It is a nonpartisan campaign of the nonprofit 501(c)3 Center for Common Ground.
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
The League of Women Voters of the United States encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
POSTCARDS TO VOTERS
Postcards to Voters are friendly, handwritten reminders from volunteers to targeted voters giving Democrats a winning edge in close, key races coast to coast.
ROCK THE VOTE
In 1990, music executives founded Rock the Vote in response to the censorship of hip-hop and rap artists. Our first partnership, with MTV, promoted the message that “Censorship is Un-American” and activated millions of young people across the country to exercise their rights and represent their interests. For thirty years, we have continuously adapted to the changing landscapes of media, technology and culture to breakthrough and empower each new generation.
VOTE.ORG
Vote.org uses technology to simplify political engagement, increase voter turnout, and strengthen American democracy.
WHEN WE ALL VOTE
When We All Vote is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that is on a mission to increase participation in every election and close the race and age voting gap by changing the culture around voting, harnessing grassroots energy, and through strategic partnerships to reach every American.
Immigration and Asylum
ACLU
For nearly one hundred years, ACLU lawyers have been at the center of one history-making court case after another, participating in more Supreme Court cases than any other private organization. With attorneys nationwide, we handle thousands of cases each year on behalf of clients whose rights have been violated.
Bet Tzedek
Bet Tzedek attorneys and advocates help people of all communities and generations secure life’s necessities. Wherever people are in crisis, Bet Tzedek’s core services and rapid response programs provide stability and hope.
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
CHIRLA is a California leader with the national impact made of diverse immigrant families and individuals who act as agents of social change to achieve a world with freedom of mobility, full human rights, and true participatory democracy. CHIRLA’s mission is to achieve a just society fully inclusive of immigrants.
HIAS
HIAS works around the world to protect refugees who have been forced to flee their homelands because of who they are, including ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities. For more than 130 years, HIAS has been helping refugees rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.
Public Counsel
Public Counsel is the largest pro bono law firm in the nation. We work with major law firms and corporations to change people’s futures. A staff of 71 attorneys and 50 support staff – including five social workers – along with over 5,000 volunteer lawyers, law students and legal professionals assists over 30,000 children, youth, families, and community organizations every year.
Equality - Fighting Hate and Discrimination
ANTI DEFAMATION LEAGUE
ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is a global leader in exposing extremism and delivering anti-bias education, and is a leading organization in training law enforcement. ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.
BEND THE ARC
Bend the Arc is a movement of tens of thousands of progressive Jews all across the country. For years, we’ve worked to build a more just society. Now we’re rising up in solidarity with everyone threatened by the Trump agenda to fight for the soul of our nation.
EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE
The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
INTEGRITY FIRST FOR AMERICA
Integrity First for America (IFA) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to holding those accountable who threaten longstanding principles of our democracy—including our country’s commitment to civil rights and equal justice.
NAACP
Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
Freedom of the Press
ACLU
For nearly one hundred years, ACLU lawyers have been at the center of one history-making court case after another, participating in more Supreme Court cases than any other private organization. With attorneys nationwide, we handle thousands of cases each year on behalf of clients whose rights have been violated.
REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press provides pro bono legal representation, amicus curiae support, and other legal resources to protect First Amendment freedoms and the newsgathering rights of journalists.