“The Seven Deadly Citizens: Moving From Civic Stereotypes to Well-Rounded Citizenship” is an article written by Matt Leighninger and released in the November 2004 issue of The Good Society, a journal published by the Committee for the Political Economy of the Good Society (PEGS) and Penn State University Press. Below is an excerpt from the publication. More information about the article can be found here. American democracy seems to be going through a painful transition process. The symptoms of this shift include declining voter turnout, ... (continue)

This initiative was part of the “Democracy Communications Network,” a 2007-2009 project that encouraged leaders in deliberative democracy to periodically write op-eds and blog posts as part of larger, collaborative media campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of quality public engagement.  Use the “Democracy Communications Network” tag to see the articles written in association with this project. Published in the Portsmouth Herald on Sunday, December 14, 2008. Viewable at Seacoast Online at www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20081214-OPINION-812140316. Tapping citizen input: Setting priorities, solving problems December 14, 2008 The ... (continue)

This was the fourth topic of the “Democracy Communications Network,” a 2007-2009 project that encouraged leaders in deliberative democracy to periodically write op-eds and blog posts as part of larger, collaborative media campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of quality public engagement.  Use the “Democracy Communications Network” tag to see the articles  written in association with this project. In the aftermath of an historic election, the Obama Administration is poised to move from a new and more democratic style of campaigning to a new ... (continue)

The November 5th Coalition was a collaborative initiative dedicated to using the 2008 presidential election as an opportunity to foster deliberation about how we can collectively mobilize the energies and talents of ordinary citizens to address our challenges. Those involved believed the campaign could be a watershed, where citizens reclaim their standing as partners of a government that is truly “of, by, and for the people.” The Coalition was named for the day after the election, when we hoped a new chapter in our civic ... (continue)

This article was written as part of the “Democracy Communications Network,” a 2007-2009 project that encouraged leaders in dialogue and deliberation to periodically write op-eds and blog posts as part of collaborative media campaigns that raise awareness of the importance of quality public engagement. Use the “Democracy Communications Network” tag to see all the articles written in association with this project. Succession planning in organizations is well-represented in theory, but lacking in practice. For more than a year, our country has enjoyed an impressive escalation ... (continue)

This Open Letter for Personal Democracy Forum (PdF) participants was written by Matt Leighninger in June 23, 2008 – right before the PdF conference. It can also be found at www.personaldemocracy.com/blog/entry/1964/an_open_letter_to_pdf_participants. Welcome to the Table of Power, Bloggers: Are you democratic revolutionaries or just another interest group? Dear bloggers, online activists, Internet advocates, and digital journalists: You’ve arrived. No matter what else happens between now and November 5th, with this election you can lay claim to a permanent place at the political table. It is ... (continue)

This article was written as part of the “Democracy Communications Network,” a 2007-2009 project that encouraged leaders in deliberative democracy to periodically write op-eds and blog posts as part of larger, collaborative media campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of quality public engagement. Use the “Democracy Communications Network” tag to see the articles  written in association with this project. Philly’s rules of engagement Posted on Wed, Nov. 21, 2007 and currently available online at www.philly.com/philly/opinion/11681542.html. By HARRIS J. SOKOLOFF IT SEEMS THAT the presidential candidates ... (continue)

This article was written as part of the “Democracy Communications Network,” a 2007-2009 project that encouraged leaders in deliberative democracy to periodically write op-eds and blog posts as part of larger, collaborative media campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of quality public engagement. Use the “Democracy Communications Network” tag to see the articles  written in association with this project. Tina tells us that the placement her piece was amazing – full color, on the front page of the opinion section. It’s currently on the Post-Standard ... (continue)

This article was written as part of the “Democracy Communications Network,” a 2007-2009 project that encouraged leaders in deliberative democracy to periodically write op-eds and blog posts as part of larger, collaborative media campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of quality public engagement. Use the “Democracy Communications Network” tag to see the articles  written in association with this project. This op-ed was published on October 26, 2007 in the Indianapolis Star. My view: Lisa Blomgren Bingham Give the masses more ways to enter political conversation ... (continue)

This article was written as part of the “Democracy Communications Network,” a 2007-2009 project that encouraged leaders in deliberative democracy to periodically write op-eds and blog posts as part of larger, collaborative media campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of quality public engagement. Use the “Democracy Communications Network” tag to see the articles  written in association with this project. The following was published in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Patriot News on October 25, 2007. – Town by town, city by city, democracy has quietly been growing ... (continue)