Tag: politics
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Can the 2026 Election Save Our Democracy?
It is 80 days until the 2026 midterm elections take place across the US. There’s been a lot of discussion about what the progressive wins against moderates around the country mean for America and the Democratic Party. I expect even more speculation and coverage as the general election approaches and the Democratic Party decides whether…
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America at 250: This is NOT What Democracy Looks Like!
As our country celebrates its 250th anniversary, we are living through a particularly fraught period of US history with attacks on democratic participation and freedom of speech coming from inside the federal government. Across the country, the effects of the Supreme Court’s recent decisions, which weakened protections in the Voting Rights Act, gave the executive…
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Reclaiming Our Political Power
The Apocalyptic Optimist Podcast is BACK! Over the years, my research has explored many aspects of how we can build lasting and effective political power and civic capacity. In fact, I’ve written three books specifically about this subject: In all of these books, along with much of my empirical research, the value of building lasting…
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Could Redistricting Efforts Energize the Pro-Democracy Movement?
Whenever I speak about civic and political engagement in America, I always start by discussing the most common way that Americans participate in our democracy: voting. Even though many people choose not to vote, it is still one of the most common forms of engagement and an act that most people do at least once…
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How to Expand Resistance and Build Solidarity?
As Trump’s second term continues (we are currently only 1 year and 4 months into his 4-year term), we are seeing continued resistance to the administration and its policies. There have been a series of days of action that have turned out millions of Americans to march and chant in peaceful protest (most recently in…
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Americans Flex their Economic Muscles at May Day Strong
Yesterday, on May 1st, a broad coalition of progressive groups and unions participated in May Day Strong to show their strength “with many refusing business as usual through No School. No Work. No Shopping.” Working with the organizing coalition, my team surveyed hosts who were coordinating events and participants who registered to participate through a…
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How to Build Power through a General Strike
This coming Friday, the May Day Strong coalition (which includes over two hundred progressive groups and unions) is calling for “workers, students, and families [to] rally, march, and take action across the country to demand a nation that puts workers over billionaires, with many refusing business as usual through No School. No Work. No Shopping.”…
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Are We Expecting Too Much of No Kings 3?
Obsessing over magic numbers won’t save us; we have to save ourselves. Next weekend–on March 28th–the third No Kings Day will take place across the US. Organizers have been sharing this amazing map of the more-than-3000 planned events that have been scheduled for the day (the image below is from their website on 3/19). Like…
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Why Targeting Activists Will Backfire
As I mentioned in my last installment, the federal government has been increasing its surveillance of activist groups that focus on immigration and more. There are numerous accounts of the Trump Administration working to limit the rights of Americans to assemble and observe federal agents in order to document their actions, or what I call…
Dana R Fisher 