Brad Rourke’s Blog
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What Do We Think When We Hear “Civic?”
I am proud to be a board member for the funders’ affinity group Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE), a group which provides an important learning space for organizations at the forefront in thinking about civic life. PACE has released a significant new report that details the results of a rigorous and searching effort to…
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My Approach to Annual Review and Reflection, 2021-2022
As the year ends, and the new one begins, many people reflect upon and review their past year, and think about how they wish to act moving forward. Some call it “making resolutions,” some “setting intentions.” People do it all different ways. Here is the way I have been ending each year since 2015. It…
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David Mathews on Deliberative Democratic Politics
David Mathews, longtime president and CEO of the Kettering Foundation, was interviewed recently by AL.com. In a brief passage, he gives perhaps the best and most concentrated description of deliberative democratic politics I have seen. For those who have heard Dr. Mathews describe various aspects of democracy — its origins, how it can be seen…
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Building a New Life on the Ashes of Collapse: 2,500 Daily Letters
Some of my friends know that some years ago, in a deep spiritual crisis and in anguish, I began trying a new practice. I wanted to be serious about my inner spiritual life, to see if it would help me. I am not religious, but felt called to do this. Now, each morning, I do the same…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
Brad Rourke 