Stewarding Democracy

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Democracy as a living practice

Democracy is more than a structure of government or something inherited from the past. It is an ongoing practice—something people learn, participate in, question, maintain, repair, and sometimes redesign.

Why “Stewarding” Democracy?

Democracy is often discussed as something a country either has or does not have. But democratic life also depends on what people do with it.

Citizens learn how institutions work, participate in public decisions, protect rights and democratic norms, question systems that are not working well, and consider how those systems might be improved.

To steward democracy is not to assume that every existing institution should remain unchanged. It is to take responsibility for understanding what we have, preserving what is worth preserving, repairing what is failing, and remaining open to better ways of practicing self-government.

The paths below explore that work from three directions: understanding democracy itself, examining democratic innovations and alternatives, and considering how patriotism can include both attachment and thoughtful criticism.