The Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement at UIC’s Post

Want to feel a bit more hopeful about US democracy, Gen Z political participation, and reaching across partisan divides? The results from America in One Room: The Youth Vote are out! Some highlights: ✨ When asked about those with whom they strongly disagreed, there was an increase in mutual respect. The percentage agreeing that those with whom they strongly disagreed “have good reasons; there just are better ones on the other side” went up overall from 64% to 71%. ✨ The experience of deliberation also increased their satisfaction with democracy. When asked “How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way democracy is working in the U.S” overall satisfaction increased an impressive *29 points* from 29% to 58%. Republicans increased dramatically from 38% to 72%. Independents increased from 24% to 40% and Democrats increased from 26% to 52%. The deliberative experience seemed to be a positive demonstration for how democracy could work across our many differences. See the full report here to learn even more about what new voters care most about: https://lnkd.in/eWe_iCBB

Our President, Cheryl Tung, and LWV-Wake members Elaine Okal, Kristen Howard, Helen Zimmerman and Marian Lewin participated in LWVUS's "Power the South," conference which brings together leaders specifically from the Southern States to analyze trending issues, receive trainings, and become equipped to empower marginalized and BIPOC voters in their Southern locations. The South was the birthplace of the US's civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s in the US, yet rights continue to be under attack with threats like rising white supremacy, patriarchy, continued classism, and authoritarianism. "Power the South" is LWVUS's movement to make our democracy more inclusive, equitable, and collaborative. Also included are a few photos from past years. How can you get involved in erasing inequality in the South? Spread the word in our area about NC's voter ID requirements, especially in communities facing disparity that may not have access to standard forms of ID https://lnkd.in/edRRs-WY Join LWV-Wake in gathering with members of the Cary chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority to write postcards to a targeted group of voters in Cary with reminders about the upcoming election and voter ID requirements (must logged in to view) https://lnkd.in/eiqrbTv8 Explore a timeline of the Civil Rights movement https://lnkd.in/ecpmVtFh Learn what the The Southern Poverty Law Center is doing for racial justice in the South www.splcenter.org Watch PBS's Preserving Democracy: Pursuing a More Perfect Union "Follow the pursuit of democracy from the Revolutionary War through recurring cycles of civil rights progress and backlash, the 2021 Capitol riot and beyond. Explore the impact of voter rights and a civics curriculum on engaged and informed citizens." https://lnkd.in/epZDrGkx

We have a couple of spots left if you would still like to register! April 18: Citizen Assemblies- Reinvigorating Civic Engagement Note: This is a morning forum, 8:30am. Join us for a discussion that will open up the idea of citizen involvement in local decision-making. Increasingly people on all sides of the political spectrum (including those unengaged) feel left out of how decisions are made. A Citizens’ Assembly is a group of people selected by lottery who are broadly representative of a community. They spend significant time learning and collaborating through facilitated deliberation to find common ground and form collective recommendations for policymakers, decision-makers, and the community. These Assemblies are sometimes called Citizens’ Juries, Panels, or Councils depending on their size and the country where they are taking place. We will discuss how this model works internationally and how it is currently being used right here in Central Oregon. More info: https://lnkd.in/gSYnjqRi

Say Yes to Opportunities to Uplift, Thrive, and Heal Community-based programs are at the heart of California's successful youth justice reforms. While there’s still much to be done and difficult problems to be solved, California is on the right track. Join us for YOUTH Day to rally California’s lawmakers to continue this progress. https://buff.ly/3ApqENu

This election year, help us raise the profile of public libraries to government As libraries continue to face budget and service cuts across the country, it is more important than ever for the sector to show politicians the huge difference libraries make in our communities. Join us and share your library’s stories of success and impact with the theme of ‘Libraries Change Lives’. This could be an activity, an event, an initiative or a member of staff who goes above or beyond their role. These case studies can encompass any library activity or event that falls under these six different categories: + Sense of place + Green and sustainable + Stronger communities + Health and care + Enterprise and creativity + Learning and social mobility Read more information on the campaign and how to enter: https://lnkd.in/ex-uNJ3E

According to a recent study by Grand View Research, Inc Research, Immersive technologies across entertainment industries, including gaming, movies, music, sports, and live entertainment is expected to reach USD 426.77 billion by 2030. As our content consumption choices have rapidly expanded, and our consumer preferences have shifted, brands that deliver cohesive architectures that combine a customer-centric approach with storytelling marketing not only have a leg up, they will be the brands to look up to in the future. That is why, Battenhall has put together a panel of experts to discuss the forces behind this seismic shift in our panel picker proposal: ‘No Limits: The Future of Audience Participation Storytelling’! Now that panel picker community voting for SXSW is open, we’d love to build support for this much needed conversation with your vote! Here’s How: * Visit https://lnkd.in/eSUv37nb  * Sign up with your email * Give us an up vote! * Comment if you can  If this topic resonates with you and your colleagues, please share this along to make it happen! #sxsw2025, #community, #vote, #voting,  #PanelPicker, #PanelPicker2025, #ATX, #Austin, #MarchMagic

Testimony before the U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM SUBCOMMITTEE ON CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES Regarding “A Threat to America’s Children: The Trump Administration’s Proposal to Gut Fair Housing Accountability” On January 14, 2020, HUD released a proposed rule redefining how jurisdictions will be expected to comply with the AFFH component of the Fair Housing Act.43 The proposed rule effectively eliminates the AFFH mandate of the Fair Housing Act and discards the equity and opportunity lenses that were key to the 2015 AFFH rule HUD seeks to replace. The proposed rule is premised on the notion that if jurisdictions remove the “barriers” to affordable housing development and let the market operate without constraints, it will solve their affordable housing problems and that, in turn, will solve our fair housing problems. It does not acknowledge systemic discrimination or segregation in any way and it completely ignores the connection between where one lives and the opportunities they may or may not have as a result. It ignores the multitude of disparities that have been created and fostered by persistent segregation or the role that decisions concerning the placement and design of housing and community development investments have on producing them. It has virtually no reference to protected classes and it does not require jurisdictions to provide meaningful explanations for how their housing and community development decisions will address the issues they choose to prioritize. For more information, please see - J. Soto Testimony - 2020.02.05 FINAL (congress.gov) - it is a pretty lengthy reading.... smile This is what folks have to look forward to IF.... https://lnkd.in/g7gZxT6H

Our paper "How Citizens Meet the State" is out in Urban Affairs Review. Many thanks to Jake Turner for involving me with this awesome South Bend project! Thanks to Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts and the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society at University of Notre Dame for their support and recognition of our work. We introduce a holistic conceptualization of police-citizen contact, differentiating contact into 3 dimensions: quotidian, service provision, and coercive. We then examine how each dimension impacts citizens' trust toward political institutions and their political engagement with a focus in South Bend, IN. https://lnkd.in/gxfmxTEy