Convening on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship: Breakout Sessions

Why are so many Americans frustrated in their attempts to influence policy outcomes?

This breakout session was led by Commission members Wallace Jefferson and Martha McCoy and featured Antonnet Johnson from Participatory Budgeting in Brooklyn, NY; Luis Farias, who works to connect Latino entrepreneurs with businesses in Los Angeles, CA; Keanhuy Sour from Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association in Lowell, MA; and Dawn Schluckebier from Think Tennessee.

Why do so many Americans feel like their votes don’t matter?

This breakout session was led by Commission members Carolyn Lukensmeyer and Norm Ornstein and featured Cathy Stewart from Independent Voting in New York City; Randy Michaelis from Whitworth University in Spokane, WA; and Tara Smith, a voter from Dover-Foxcroft, ME who shared her experience with ranked-choice voting.

How is the changing media and information environment impacting the practice of democratic citizenship?

This breakout session was led by Commission members danah boyd, Ethan Zuckerman, and Hahrie Hahn and featured Angela Cutbill, an at-large representative on the Las Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education from Los Angeles, CA; Richard Howe, Register of Deeds at Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a community blogger from Lowell, MA; Richard Young, Executive Director of CivicLex in Lexington, KY; and Victor Palomino, Program Director of WLXL in Lexington, KY.

What do Americans need to know to practice democratic citizenship?         

This breakout session was led by Commission member Joe Kahne and featured Leyda Garcia, Principal of UCLA Community School in Los Angeles, CA; Jonathan Gelbart Director of Education Initiatives and Innovation at the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute in Phoenix, AZ; Amie Miller, Senior Managing Director of Content Development at PBS in St. Paul, MN; and Larissa Smith, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Longwood University in Farmville, VA.