Occasional Paper  

Problem-Solving at the Community Scale: A Deweyan Approach to the Democratic Practices of Minoritized Groups within the United States, South Africa, and Australia

By:

  • Katharina Liesenberg
  • Michael Lucas
  • Stefan Chavez-Norgaard

Download the PDF

cover photo of the occasional paper

The democratic “recession” across the globe is emerging as a political hallmark of the 21st century. This is evidenced by the incremental breakdown of formal, political democratic practices and institutions among many nations, including in the North Atlantic states, as well as by the fear or anticipation of democratic erosion. This paper uses a pragmatist approach to demonstrate how, in the face of democratic breakdowns, resilient democratic practices are taking form in remarkably varied ways in the common structural context of settler-colonial nation-states that are nominally in stages of advanced democratic consolidation.

 

More from this Program

Trump Targets Domestic Terrorism, James Comey Indicted
Terms of Engagement

Podcast

Trump Targets Domestic Terrorism, James Comey Indicted

Archon Fung and Stephen Richer speak with Alex Whiting, Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School and an expert on criminal prosecution.

The Fight Over Free Speech
Terms of Engagement

Podcast

The Fight Over Free Speech

This week on Term of Engagement, co-hosts Archon Fung and Stephen Richer explore and debate the boundaries of free speech, threats to it, and the impact on our democracy.

 

Voting with the Las Vegas Raiders: The Impact of Allegiant Stadium as a Polling Location in 2024
An image of the report in front of Allegiant Stadium field.

Policy Brief

Voting with the Las Vegas Raiders: The Impact of Allegiant Stadium as a Polling Location in 2024

Sports facilities are uniquely positioned to provide an enjoyable voting experience and strengthen civic engagement. A new report by Tova Wang, Director of Research Projects in Democratic Practice, explores the impact of stadium voting in 2024 at Allegiant Stadium, drawing widespread, bipartisan support from voters and election officials and strengthening the relationship between the Las Vegas Raiders and the surrounding community.

More on this Issue

Setting the 2025-26 Agenda for the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation

Commentary

Setting the 2025-26 Agenda for the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation

Amid rising illiberalism, Danielle Allen urges a new agenda to renew democracy by reorienting institutions, policymaking, and civil society around the intentional sharing of power.

Ten ways to take down the political temperature
Graphic of two men yelling at each other.

Commentary

Ten ways to take down the political temperature

The intensification of political polarization in recent years has raised pressing concerns about the health of democratic discourse and the rise of political violence. Ash Center Senior Fellow Stephen Richer shares ten principles he believes provide a framework for fostering more constructive engagement: encouraging self-reflection, prioritizing substantive dialogue over hyperbole, and creating incentives that reward integrity and ideas rather than division.

Terms of Engagement – Election Administration Fight Forms
Terms of Engagement

Podcast

Terms of Engagement – Election Administration Fight Forms

Archon Fung and Stephen Richer discuss President Trump’s assertions about mail-in voting and what they portend for future elections and voter participation.