Brad Rourke’s Blog
-
The Resistance to Democracy
Lately I have been thinking about resistance to democracy. By democracy I mean people exerting citizenship (that is, making choices and acting together on shared challenges), starting in their communities (the places where people make decisions and act), supported by governing institutions (such as government, NGOs, businesses, and other organizations). Three problems can fundamentally interfere…
-
The Gymnasia
Imagine you walk into a gymnasium. Different people doing different things all over. There are all sorts of stations: weightlifting areas, cardio machines, fitness rooms. There is a yoga room and a room for a spin class. There is a basketball court. Too, there are all sorts of people all throughout the gym. They’re each…
-
The President and the Poet
Today, Joseph R. Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States of America, in a ceremony remarkable for both its singularity and for its normalcy. There were no crowds, and the people were distanced, wearing masks. Onlookers told to stay home. There was a tension in the air, barricades on the…
-
A Productive Year: New Materials for Deliberative Conversation
2020 has been a challenging year, on so many fronts. It is gratifying to be able to report that the group I work with at the Kettering Foundation and the National Issues Forums Institute has been able to rise to the challenge. We worked as never before, and the team were able to produce needed…
-
Conditions vs Topics vs Issues in Deliberative Politics
Politics runs on issues, which are questions about what should be done. Deliberative politics runs on issues that are widely seen as shared and critical. Yet, in public discourse, conditions, topics, and issues are often conflated. Conditions are societal: norms or pathologies in how individuals or groups behave. Example: a state of division, or divisiveness, is…
-
Thoughts on Civic Muscle
I have the privilege to be part of PACE, a network of philanthropies who think together periodically about fundamental questions related to civic engagement. Over the past two days we have been exploring the idea of flexing and developing “civic muscle,” especially at a time when society faces multiple crises at once. The idea of…
-
2,000 Daily Letters
Some of my friends know that some years ago I began writing a daily “Letter to God” every morning, without fail, as a part of my morning spiritual practice. I share them freely with anyone who wants to see them here: https://letters-to-god.com/. (At the site you can sign up for the daily email for free.)…
-
A Decade of Deliberation
Today marks ten years as executive editor of the Kettering Foundation’s issue guide series. The team of colleagues that I have been working with to develop these materials is remarkably talented and insightful, and has grown to be a second family. I am grateful to have had this opportunity to do meaningful work to further…
-
Getting Past Polarities: “How Should We Reopen?”
This recent Thomas Edsall piece got me thinking, and reflecting on what we have seen emerging over the question that might roughly be phrased as: How should we reopen society? This is a question that turns on things that are held deeply valuable. It is not suited to a binary approach. Most news articles do portray…
Brad Rourke 