The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce Tacoma, Washington as the next city to participate in its Our Common Purpose Communities Project. Tacoma joins Lexington, Kentucky as one of the exemplary localities dedicated to strengthening American democracy.
OCP Communities commit to advancing one or more of the recommendations in the Our Common Purpose report. Tacoma is implementing recommendations to increase participatory governance, with a focus on broadening participation amongst historically marginalized communities. This goal is embodied by Tacoma’s participatory budget initiative which was launched in 2023. City staff have been working with community members to directly allocate funding to different parts of the city.
“The City of Tacoma actively champions government transparency and is dedicated to building trust and integrity by upholding democratic principles,” said Mayor Victoria Woodards. “I am proud that our staff is working with the experts on the OCP project team to share Tacoma’s successes and collaborate on possible improvements to the way we engage the communities we serve.”
The OCP Communities project seeks to build a network of American cities and towns that adopt reforms to make the democratic process more open and responsive. By joining the coalition, OCP communities gain access to resources and information about how to make their innovative efforts effective.
Stephen Heintz, co-chair of the Our Common Purpose project and Chair of the Academy’s Trust, said, “Some of the most significant democratic innovations today are happening at the local level. Tacoma is an excellent example of a community that has worked tirelessly to expand participation in the democratic process. We are pleased to be able to support these initiatives with Tacoma joining the Academy’s network of communities.”
The Academy is looking forward to working with Tacoma and adding more communities to the OCP network that are leading the way in revitalizing American democracy.
Learn more about the Our Common Purpose Communities Project.