Strengthening Our Democracy: May 2024

Hello, Friends.

 

Given most of the headlines we see these days, it’s easy to think government is broken and cynicism is our only option. We are proudly here with an opposing view. If you need a palate cleanser to rid the taste of doubt from your mouth, read on.

I’m still thinking about my conversation with Heather Morris, the author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, who joined us this month for the Laura Bush Book Club, a special edition of Engage at the Bush Center, presented by NexPoint and supported by H-E-B. Now also a television series on Peacock, The Tattooist of Auschwitz describes how Lale and Gita found love even as they fought to survive one of humankind's darkest periods.

Our democracy requires that we remember the stories like those Heather tells, that we never take our fragile freedoms for granted, and that we always respect America’s influence in the world. We need our young people to know these stories, too, so that they develop the empathetic and intellectual muscles to grapple with history – even at its most horrific – and apply its lessons to today’s complex world. Watch the conversation and read my take on its connection to our democracy.

Another point of hope for me right now is the Presidential Leadership Scholars, which brings together a diverse group of bold leaders who are committed to bridging divides and facing critical challenges at home and around the world. The program – a partnership among four presidential centers – is currently taking applications for its 2025 cohort. Take a moment to share the application with those in your network.

We are pragmatic optimists here at the Bush Institute, but we are not naive to our challenges. Making clear the value of our democracy, especially to those coming of age as citizens now, is serious business.

 

Best,

Anne Wicks
The Don Evans Family Managing Director of Opportunity and Democracy
George W. Bush Institute

Civil discourse in action:

Mayor David Holt

Governor Spencer Cox

Bush Institute insights:

 

• In a recent Dallas Morning News op-ed, Bush Center President and CEO Ken Hersh wrote about the importance of being active participants in our democracy. He described facing challenges with the mindset of an investor approaching opportunities, on the hunt for good ideas and resourceful people to enact those ideas.

• AI has the potential to misinform and manipulate Americans around elections, or, even worse, discourage them from voting altogether. American leadership across all sectors is critical in addressing this issue, writes Michael Bailey, Senior Program Manager of Leadership Programs at the Bush Institute.

• The most recent issue of The Catalyst: A Journal of Ideas From the Bush Institute explores why U.S. leadership in the world matters. Jonathan Tepperman, Bush Institute Senior Fellow and Editor-in-Chief of The Catalyst, shares that, “given the scale of the challenges we face, it’s probably not surprising that some Americans are choosing, once again, to turn their faces inward. But ignoring the world would be a dangerous mistake – one neither the United States nor other countries can afford.”

• Check out this unique episode of The Strategerist featuring none other than Thomas Jefferson who made a lasting impact on our country as the third president of the United States and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. Kurt Smith, who portrays Jefferson as a nation builder at Colonial Williamsburg, joined the podcast to discuss the birth of our nation, the lessons we can learn from our Founding Fathers, and his thoughts on the future of the United States.

• Bush Center President and CEO Ken Hersh recently joined a panel on advocating for the hard work of democracy with leaders of other presidential centers. Read highlights of the Milken Institute conversation.

• Free and fair press: A growing share of Americans say that their local news organization reports the news accurately, covers the most important stories, is transparent, and keeps an eye on local political leaders, according to new polling from the Pew Research Center. Support for local media spans the partisan divide, with majorities in both parties saying local media does well at reporting news accurately.

• Promoting pluralism: Following the protests at Columbia University, BridgeUSA replaced confrontation with conversation, facilitating discussions on 21 campuses about the Israel-Palestine conflict. These student-led conversations create spaces for healthy disagreement while creating a stronger community on campus.

• Civic virtue: Arthur Brooks argues that the foundation of society is civic virtue, a shared set of behavioral norms and basic moral rules that make the order's functioning possible. As we look to solve the challenges facing our democracy, we should direct our attention to restoring civic virtue.

• The Civic Trust: 2024 National Civics Bee® competitions

---

If someone at your organization would like to receive this update, please email AYelvington@bushcenter.org