Civic life in America is on the decline. In the past few decades, trust in the media and politicians has decreased dramatically. Adults volunteer less often, and kids are less likely to take a civics class in school. It’s not that people don’t talk politics -- but that we no longer feel equipped to take up our problems with the people in power.
Today, I’m talking to writer and activist Pete Davis, who’s dedicated his life toward this problem. He's campaigned for minimum wage increases and prison reform, founded a venture-backed tiny house startup and a neighborhood social media platform, and is now forwarding a national policy platform to mobilize grassroots democratic reform around the country.
His work is organized around two frameworks: democracy, equal participation in power, and solidarity, a commitment to forging a shared destiny. We chat about the problem with NextDoor, connecting local to national issues, and how college students can develop a mission.
Find us on Twitter @RebuildingGovt and your host @jasminewsun.
Relevant resources:
Find Pete on Twitter @PeteDDavis or his website http://civicideas.org/
Democratic Policy Network: https://www.democracypolicy.network/
Current Affairs Podcast: https://www.currentaffairs.org/podcast
An Unreasonable Man, a documentary about Ralph Nader
Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam Rebuilding Government is a podcast in collaboration with UNIT Innovations (@unitinnovations) and Teske Media (@teskemedia).
A Recipe for Democracy ft. Pete Davis, founder of the Democratic Policy Network