Exploring critical issues facing our democracy and searching for solutions.
Democracy Solutions Project Special Report
Reporters traveled to Colombia and Canada to understand how countries outside of the United States are managing an influx of migrants and resettling refugees. What lessons can Chicago learn?
What is the Democracy Solutions Project?
Through stories, listening experiences, opinion pieces and news, WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times will take a solutions-oriented approach to reporting on the critical issues facing American democracy today. The yearlong special project – in partnership with the University of Chicago’s Center for Effective Government, with funding support from the Pulitzer Center – examines the current threats to our democracy, including barriers to voting, cynicism, misinformation, polarization and much more.
We want to hear from you. Tell us what you think is wrong with our democracy and share how you think we can fix it.
Opinions
If they truly want to clear up any “misunderstandings,” Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. should meet with lawmakers about the Alito flag controversy and court ethics in general.
It could not be clearer the Supreme Court needs genuine ethics rules, not the hazy, unenforceable guidelines it approved last year. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin has said he is thinking about holding hearings on the matter since the Alito flag controversy. The Senate has a civic duty to do so.
Voter turnout is always low in primary elections, and Tuesday was an extreme example. Ranked choice voting is one idea that could boost turnout and decrease partisanship and negative campaigning.
What’s really needed is to shore up local news. Voters say they don’t have access to clear, unbiased information on candidates amid a well-documented decline of local newspapers and news media.
Lawmakers across the country are finagling ways to give themselves an edge in elections, which erodes the rights of voters to representatives of their choice. Solutions: The U.S. Supreme Court could step in, or states could agree to have congressional maps drawn by an independent commission.
The March 19 primary is approaching, and the November general election after that. Election officials are offering incentives to attract judges
People who read don’t censor books, writes Natalie Moore, who talked with the former head of the American Library Association about the current wave of book bans across the country.
How 'transformational advocacy' helped 3 Chicago-area residents find purpose, not fractured politics
Whether they’re lobbying Congress on climate change or fighting poverty, they learned how to use their voices for positive change, the author of “Reclaiming Our Democracy” writes.
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, officials, advocates and experts have expressed concern over misinformation and disinformation about candidates and elections in Chicago, Cook County and Illinois.
The new law, which limits ballot access after primary elections, is likely to lead to claims of ‘stolen elections’ for years to come, the League of Women Voters writes. Republicans have now filed a lawsuit against the law.
A greater share of Chicago area Republicans cast their ballots by mail in March compared to the 2022 primary, but they were still vastly outpaced by Democrats in using a voting system that has become increasingly popular.
Threats and harassment are more common against officeholders who are people of color, a University of Illinois Chicago professor writes.
This is not some dry, academic question, writes Max Stier of the Partnership for Public Service. It’s an issue in the upcoming presidential election, with profound consequences for the capability of our government to solve critical problems.
Four Illinois counties have no local news source, the State of Local News Project found. When that happens, people can’t participate meaningfully in their local communities and democratic institutions.
Why Government is Failing the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better with Jennifer Pahlka on March 27.
A Brookings Institution expert explains why seniority in Congress has clear benefits for individual members and their constituents.
Many voters told the Sun-Times they would feel more assured in their picks — and, experts say, a significant share of non-voters might be more inclined to join the process — if they had better access to clear, unbiased information to help them make choices.
Here’s a guide to casting your ballot — whether you’re looking to register to vote, vote by mail or vote in person.
The maps Illinois Democrats approved in 2021 sealed in their political power for a decade — adding one Hispanic-majority blue seat in Congress and forcing two Republicans out of their districts.
Finding enough election judges has become increasingly challenging. Officials have tried increasing pay and tapping groups such as veterans and high school students and more.
More states and localities are adopting small donor matching. A growing body of evidence shows it can deepen voter engagement and counteract the influence of big money, a Brennan Center expert writes.
The voices of ordinary people often are muffled in political campaigns, as candidates are deluged with cash from wealthy donors.
Whether Trump should be kicked off ballots under the 14th Amendment gets to the heart of what makes our democracy tick: free and fair elections among candidates who, at the least, meet basic qualifications to hold a particular office.
Big money, big problems. Deep-pocketed, self-funding candidates and dark money mar Illinois politics
Primary meddling, dark money and self-funding loopholes help skew Illinois politics to favor moneyed candidates. But there are also solutions — like fighting big money with public funding of campaigns.
The Colorado Supreme Court kicked Trump off the ballot. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to take up the case. The U.S. Constitution is clear on the matter, if the court rules that Trump engaged in insurrection.
The precedent Republicans are setting threatens to turn the concept of an impeachment inquiry into a oft-used partisan tool.