Out today: "The Economics of Direct Democracy," a new report from @politicalreform.newamerica.org In it, we explore what ballot initiatives actually cost, what they deliver (+ for whom), how we can make them more accessible, and other big questions. Check it out! www.newamerica.org/insights/dir...

The Economics of Direct Democracy: Cost, Access, and Value

newamerica.org

New from @polreformna.bsky.social: We surveyed 4,600+ residents across 10 states that lack a ballot initiative process. Do they know they don't have one? What do they think about getting one? 🧵 www.newamerica.org/insights/low...

Low Awareness, Strong Appetite: New Polling on Ballot Initiative Access in 10 Non-Initiative States

A survey commissioned by New America’s Political Reform program suggests a key barrier to states adopting a ballot initiative process is lack of awareness, not opposition.

newamerica.org

What if, instead of spamming you with fundraising emails, political parties organized communities, trained leaders, and delivered policy wins? It's not a fantasty. @workingfamilies.org did it. Learn more in @newamerica.org's new report by Tabatha Abu El-Haj. www.newamerica.org/insights/ass...

A Model for Associational Party Building

New York’s Working Families Party demonstrates how political parties can rebuild community ties, foster participation, and translate electoral leverage into policy wins.

newamerica.org

📣NEW REPORT: What does an "associational party" look like? Tabatha Abu El-Haj takes a deep dive into the Working Families Party of New York and offers a model for rebuilding political parties from the ground up. @politicalreform.newamerica.org Read it here: www.newamerica.org/insights/ass...

A Model for Associational Party Building

New York’s Working Families Party demonstrates how political parties can rebuild community ties, foster participation, and translate electoral leverage into policy wins.

newamerica.org

This is the most useful thing a person today could read on MMP. Extensive, clear explanation of basic mechanics, design variations, downstream effects, etc. @alexkeena.bsky.social, @oscarp.bsky.social, and Natasha Romero Moskala. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Mixed-Member Proportional Representation and the U.S. House of Representatives - Alex Keena, Oscar Pocasangre, Natasha Romero Moskala, 2026

The use of single-seat districts and majoritarian rules for legislative elections is associated with many problems in American politics. However, this method of...

journals.sagepub.com

Senior Fellow @leedrutman.bsky.social was selected as one of The @washingtonpost.com's Next 50 in recognition of his work on bold solutions to strengthen American democracy. Full profile: www.washingtonpost.com/post-next/in...

In what feels like an endless period of legislative gridlock, citizen-led policymaking matters more than ever. Check out our conversation with Maresa Strano from @NewAmerica on The Democracy Lab: tinyurl.com/demlabapple tinyurl.com/demlabspotify #PeoplePower

The Democracy Lab

Politics Podcast · Updated Semiweekly · The Democracy Lab is a new podcast from Expand Democracy exploring the ideas, reforms, and civic energy shaping the future of American democracy. Every two week...

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California voters approved Proposition 50, letting the legislature temporarily reclaim redistricting power. In a new article for The Thread, Maresa Strano examines how this affects who gets to decide the rules that govern democracy. 🔗 Read more: https://go.newamerica.org/california-prop-50-5

“American leadership is older today than at any other time in history.” Oscar Pocasangre and @dustinwahl.bsky.social explore the depth of the age divide in a NEW REPORT co-published by @protectdemocracy.org and @newamerica.org protectdemocracy.org/age-divide

Proportional representation will bring young people into politics - Protect Democracy

In our new report, we argue that the winner-take-all system suppresses participation among young people and limits their opportunities to influence policy.

protectdemocracy.org

New report from @maresastrano.bsky.social @mschmitt9.bsky.social and @oscarp.bsky.social rp.bsky.social‬ lays out the why, how, and where of expanding access to statewide ballot initiatives to more states: https://www.newamerica.org/political-reform/reports/expanding-citizen-led-policymaking/

Expanding Citizen-Led Policymaking in the 21st Century

This report explores opportunities and strategies for expanding ballot initiative access to more states.

newamerica.org

Sorry this is late, but @maresastrano.bsky.social and I published a 4/20 piece that was really about how state-level ballot initiatives made legalization possible, and how direct democracy can be a kind of safety valve when legislators are out of step w/ people. www.newamerica.org/the-thread/4...

What 4/20 Can Teach Us About Direct Democracy

4/20 isn’t just about cannabis—it’s a reminder that when lawmakers stall, voters can lead. Ballot initiatives change everything.

newamerica.org

The Political Reform program’s report in partnership with the Data and Democracy Lab is now out! We tested alternative electoral systems for the Massachusetts state legislature using statistical models. Read more about the findings here: www.newamerica.org/political-re...

Enhancing Representation in Massachusetts: The Case for Preferential and Proportional Electoral Systems

Alternative electoral systems—such as ranking systems or list-based proportional systems—could enhance representation in the state.

newamerica.org