Introducing ‘The Democracy Solutions Project’
Ahead of the 2024 election, WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times are launching a new series examining how we can strengthen American democracy.
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The Democracy Solutions Project
A partnership between the University of Chicago’s Center for Effective Government and Chicago Public Media, this multi-part, multimedia series will take a solutions-oriented approach to reporting on the critical issues facing American democracy today. Through stories, listening experiences, opinion pieces and news from the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ, we’ll examine the current threats to our democracy, including barriers to voting, cynicism, misinformation, polarization and much more.
Featured
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Want to fix American democracy? Tell us how.
As part of our Democracy Solutions Project, we want to know what you think are the biggest challenges facing our political system – and how to solve them.
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Three big questions, asked and answered, about Chicago’s move to an elected school board
A series of key decisions lay ahead before Chicago voters begin the transition to an elected school board in November 2024.
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Some Chicagoans get to vote on how tax money is spent in their wards. Could Chicago do this citywide?
So-called participatory budgeting, in which residents vote on spending projects in their wards, started in the U.S. in Chicago, but its growth has stalled.
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What is participatory budgeting?
It started in the U.S. in Chicago as a way to connect residents to government and how tax dollars are spent.
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The Rundown: Chicago Public Media launches The Democracy Solutions Project
A new initiative, The Democracy Solutions Project, digs into big themes and questions surrounding democracy in the United States.
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The Rundown: Why are we talking about SCOTUS so much?
The Supreme Court is in the news a lot – for decisions made inside the court and out. How did it get so much power and who’s pushing back?
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Illinois continues to enact abortion protections a year after Roe v. Wade reversal
A year after Roe v. Wade fell, Illinois Democrat and GOP lawmakers fight for legislation.
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Abortion bans are fueling a rise in high-risk patients heading to Chicago hospitals
Even in states that allow abortion if the life of the mother is in danger, doctors say fear of prosecution is leading many to send high-risk patients to Illinois.
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Illinois immigrants need more language help to thrive and partake in civic life
In Illinois, about 8 percent of the population doesn’t speak English very well. And that means, for many immigrant communities in the state and region, language is a barrier to accessing and …
Latest
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How does corruption impact democracy? Take a look at Illinois.
A WBEZ analysis shows that while people may be more cynical and government is more expensive, voter interest in state elections has only increased.
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Chicago students are working to improve their schools through student voice committees
As part of a shift in civics education, CPS is moving beyond facts and dates and toward helping students experience what it is like to create change.
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Illinois middle schoolers have to pass a civics ed class. How do you make sure it sticks?
CPS discourages civics tests based on rote memorization. Try a quiz using that approach — and see what schools are doing now instead.
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Can you pass an eighth grade Constitution test?
Take our 15-point quiz on the Illinois and U.S. constitutions, based on real questions students face.
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Want to fix American democracy? Tell us how.
As part of our Democracy Solutions Project, we want to know what you think are the biggest challenges facing our political system – and how to solve them.
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A run-in with an Illinois state trooper with extremism ties altered one man’s life
Jyran Mitchell was injured when he was wrongfully detained by an Illinois state trooper with ties to extremism. The officer was one of a dozen outside Chicago whose names appeared on an Oath Keepers …
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Who are the Oath Keepers?
The anti-government group is best known for plotting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, but its notoriety extends years earlier.
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What does it mean for Chicago to be a sanctuary city?
The term has become conflated with policies that provide public benefits and resources, according to DePaul University’s Kathleen Arnold.
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Chicago’s migrant crisis tied to U.S. foreign policy
Juan González is a senior fellow at the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago. He says U.S. foreign policy is key to understanding why migrants flee to the city.
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Illinois is a haven against book bans, but advocates say the threat to democracy remains
Though the state has anti-censorship protections, residents should remain vigilant and vocal about their support for keeping library books on shelves.
