A Narrative for the New Political System We Need

A large majority of Americans believe that our political system needs fundamental changes. How do we channel that frustration toward a demand for democratic renewal, not authoritarianism? 

In this session of the Culture, Mindsets, and Democracy series, we provided a 101 overview of what we mean by “the political system” and why and how that system is failing Americans. We then shared what we know from research about how communicators, organizers, and advocates can leverage Americans’ dissatisfaction with the status quo to build demand for a stronger democracy.

Drew Volmert, senior vice president of programs at FrameWorks, and Clara Blustein Lindholm, director of research interpretation for the Culture Change Project, were joined by guest Steph Sterling, executive director of the Democracy Revival Center.

Resources mentioned include:

• Reviving our democracy: A narrative for the new political system we need
• From protecting the status quo to a vision for change: Framing democracy in a time of authoritarianism
• Presentation slide deck

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Culture, Mindsets, and Democracy series features insights from our latest research into how Americans are thinking about democracy, our political system, and the Constitution—and what that means for those of us working to counter authoritarian threats and strengthen our democracy.