A Busy Reader’s Guide to “Taking Democracy for Granted”
For more than a year on this blog I have been teasing a forthcoming long-form reflection on how philanthropy could better support democracy in America. I am glad to announce it has now come forth! Last week I published, “Taking Democracy for Granted: Philanthropy, Polarization, and the Need for Responsible Pluralism.” I did so under the auspices of the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, where I had the good fortune to be a visiting fellow this past academic year.
The report pulls together several themes, challenges and opportunities I have been working to make sense of, including:
How philanthropy for policy advocacy and activism has become implicated in polarization and led to a tragedy of the commons in our public life.
The opportunity — and obligation — public-spirited funders have to help reverse these trends by practicing what I term “responsible pluralism.”
How we sought to do this during my tenure as director of the Hewlett Foundation's U.S. Democracy Program (and what we learned along the way).
Why responsible pluralism, rather than resistance, is the better way forward for philanthropists concerned about the health of democracy in our populist age.
I know, I know – this is a lot of rich (and at times spicy!) content to chew on. I appreciate that not everyone who might be interested in “Taking Democracy for Granted” will have the time to read it in full. Here is how to get the most from the report if you are pressed for time:
If you have 10 minutes….Read the “Introduction and Overview” (pp. 1-9), which will give you the gist. This section diagnoses the multifaceted tragedy of the commons that philanthropists have generated, defines what I mean by responsible pluralism, and previews why it is key to repairing our public life.
If you have 30 minutes…Read the above section plus “Part II: Where Do We Go From Here?” (pp. 29-41). It takes stock of recent initiatives in philanthropy that reflect the ethos of responsible pluralism. It then lays out six concrete steps that funders of policy advocacy and activism can take to practice it.
If you have 60 minutes…and are already planning to read the two sections above, choose one of two additional adventures:
Read “Part I: How Did We Get Here?” (pp. 10-28) if you would like to know more about the historical developments that have led to our current challenges. Part I traces the arguments for and against pluralism and philanthropic support for it in the American political tradition. It then surveys how, over the past six decades, philanthropy has increasingly come to be implicated in the spread of polarization.
Or, alternatively,
Read “Part III: Case Study of the Hewlett Foundation’s U.S. Democracy Grantmaking, 2013-2022” (pp. 42-57) and “Coda: Responsible Pluralism in a Populist Age” (pp. 58-60) The case study offers an autobiographical vignette of how responsible pluralism works in practice. The Coda looks back with candor on our work at Hewlett, then looks ahead to propose that, in our populist age, philanthropists need to be responsible pluralists now more than ever.
As you dig into the parts of “Taking Democracy for Granted” most relevant for your work, I’d welcome any questions, comments, or feedback you have for me.
I would also be obliged if you could share the report (and by all means this “busy reader’s guide” too) with others in your network who might benefit from it.
PS: There is one other on-ramp to this content. The SNF Agora Institute will host a Webinar on “Taking Democracy for Granted” on Wednesday, September 4th from 12:00-1:00 pm Eastern. Dr. Kristin Goss of Duke University and Yordanos Eyoel, CEO of Keseb will join me for the discussion. You can register for the webinar here.
