Hope Despite the Times
Guest Article from Jenna Spinelle: Finding agency and community in the work to strengthen democracy.
Jenna Spinelle is host of the podcasts Democracy Works and When the People Decide and the founder of The Democracy Group network, which Outrage Overload recently joined!
Whenever I meet someone and tell them I work on democracy, the reaction is usually somewhere between “yeah, good luck with that” and “how do you keep going?” My answer always takes people by surprise — I’m hopeful about the future American democracy.
Part of this outlook is because I’m a hopeful person by nature. But much more comes from the people I meet in the work I’m fortunate enough to do. Over the years, I’ve met hundreds of people who are working to strengthen democracy in some way.
Some are working on structural reforms like open primaries or ranked-choice voting, while others are focused on strengthening our democratic culture through things like bridge-building and civic education. And some are pursuing truly moonshot ideas like passing new Constitutional Amendments.
These reforms are largely unknown to people other than nerds like me (and maybe you). The average voter who feels discontent with the political status quo — a whopping 96 percent of us according to the Pew Research Center — have no idea that there’s a whole other world out there of people who are trying to fix the things that are broken in American politics.
Spreading the Word
As a subscriber to Outrage Overload, you know that this is because division and brokenness drive news coverage and fuel algorithms.
I’ve made it my mission in the podcasts and writing I do to spread the word far and wide about the good work that’s happening out there and let people know that it is possible to feel hope alongside concern or despair. It’s one of the reasons I started The Democracy Group network in 2020, as a way to bring together people who are having conversations about strengthening democracy and help each of us find new listeners and expand this movement.
Outrage Overload does a fantastic job at diagnosing what polarized content is doing to our brains, our relationships, and our democracy. Other podcasts in The Democracy Group focus on work being done to overcome toxic polarization and strengthen the structures that support American democracy.
Our hosts come from different backgrounds and represent different perspectives, but we share a commitment to democracy and civic engagement — not just diagnosing the problems, but working together to find solutions.
From Listening to Joining
Listening to podcasts is a wonderful way to learn about how we got here and how we can move forward, but it’s only one step on the road to a healthier democracy.
The next step, in my humble opinion, is to join one of the groups that’s working on reform.
I recommend checking out the Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map from the National Civic League, which tracks more than 12,000 democracy-focused groups across 14 categories including electoral reform, connecting across differences, and civic education. No matter where you live or what you’re interested in, there’s something for you.
Getting involved will not only help advance these causes, it might make you feel better, too. Joining something, even if it’s a group that meets on Zoom, takes you away from the doomscroll and into the world that real people inhabit. You’ll find a sense of agency and a feeling of community that can start to overtake the feelings of outrage and despair.
Of course, not all of these groups are going to succeed in bringing about the change they want to achieve, but I’m a firm believer that trying and failing is better than never having tried at all. So, keep listening and reading, but also think about dipping your toe in the water of joining.
Thank you to David at Outrage Overload for the good work he does, and for the opportunity to talk a little about what I do. I hope you’ll join us over at The Democracy Group!
 | A guest post by
|