at the League of Women Voters

Screen Shot 2014-06-09 at 10.27.47 AM(Dallas) I’m getting ready to present at the League of Women Voters’ annual meeting, which offers all the traditional trappings of a reform conference in the US: proud banners for each state’s delegation, canvassers standing at the door with flyers, tote bags with the League’s logo.

In my book We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For, I claim that one million Americans organize civic life in the United States today, not only expressing themselves but also giving others voice and translating people’s talk into action.

I count the League’s members in the one million. They have a certain demographic tilt. Most–but not all–are women, and most are white, highly educated, and older than the median American. But the nascent movement for civic renewal in America can also draw other demographic groups. If we can put organizations like the League together with networks like, for example, PICO, we can build a representative movement for democracy.

Here is my presentation for the plenary (without narration, and I’m not sure how much sense it makes alone.)

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About Peter

Associate Dean for Research and the Lincoln Filene Professor of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Tufts University's Tisch College of Civic Life. Concerned about civic education, civic engagement, and democratic reform in the United States and elsewhere.