Throughout his long-standing career as an author on subjects including government, politics, law, history, race, class, and gender, CCLP Senior Fellow Ellis Cose has been observing the ways in which America’s democracy is faltering. The eye-opening 2021 attack on the US Capitol proved to be the result of several already-boiling factors, such as the breakdown of bipartisanship, big money corruption, voter suppression, and a disconnect between our government and who it represents. Cose’s latest project, named Renewing America’s Democratic Potential, seeks to address these issues on a national scale in a way that is innovative, inclusive, and impactful.
While efforts to fix the problems within our democracy often take place among experts and elites, Cose hopes to involve a greater array of voices. With an emphasis on nonpartisanship, Renewing America’s Democratic Potential plans to spark a nationwide, public dialogue among grassroots individuals, young people, and other demographics who are too often excluded from the conversation. Ultimately, Cose’s vision is to “create an environment in which change is possible” and “shape the debate over where our country is and should be headed as we confront some of the most daunting challenges a democracy can face.”
The three-year project will include convenings in 2022 and 2024 that incorporate ideas from a wide variety of writers, thinkers, and citizens. Also planned are an essay contest and a “Listening Tour” geared towards college students and underserved people of color across the country, in cities including Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles.
Cose will release a number of books based on Renewing America’s Democratic Potential, spanning topics such as our country’s electoral process and legal system, young people’s perspectives, polarization, misinformation, and the role of speech, news, and social media.
“Restoring America’s promise ultimately means mounting a movement to make the United States a true democracy—or as close to one as we can get. The task will require efforts on many fronts and engaging Americans on every possible level. I would hope this project would play a role in that,” Cose states.
Among nonprofits, media partners, journalists, and academics, the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy is proud to support Cose on this collaborative project. Currently, Research Fellow Shelby Bolen and Cowan Scholar Steven Vargas are composing research and media materials for the upcoming listening tour and plan to partner with local organizations among its destinations.