Making sense of our messy democracy

We don’t cover the odds. We write about the stakes. And they’re high. No images? [Click here]( [Your donation matched 2x to help us reach 2022 goal]( [Give now and move us closer to our $150,000 year-end goal]( Dear Reader, I run the politics desk at The Conversation, but really, I might as well call it the democracy desk. I came to this job after decades covering politics and government in the rural state of Maine, where the decisions made by the Legislature usually had tangible, measurable impacts on people’s lives. My goal here was to ask the same questions at the national level that I asked when covering state politics: “What does this policy, plan or proposal mean to the average reader? Will it change their life? Have their interests been represented by their elected officials?” [Naomi Schalit] I arrived as the senior politics editor in the second year of Donald Trump’s presidency. And as his chaotic tenure played out, it became clear to me and my colleagues on the politics desk that we needed to cover the growing assaults on democracy itself – from Trump’s politicization of the Department of Justice to the many attempts across the country to repress speech, roll back civil rights and delegitimize government – not the latest poll numbers or tweets. We developed a manifesto of sorts to guide our coverage, which we follow to this day: What we cover at The Conversation U.S. is not politics the way many Americans think of it – partisan bickering, horse-trading and he-said-she-said false equivalencies. Rather, we cover democracy: what government is and how it happens, why it was set up that way, and what the effects are for individual people, various demographic groups and the nation as a whole. We help readers understand what values and ideals Americans claim to uphold, the processes by which they seek to do that, and the results – including whether they actually uphold or instead undermine those values and ideals. In doing this, we explain the nature, workings and results not of politics, but of democracy. So, for example, as book and drag show bans spread across the country, we’ve given readers a guide to the First Amendment and stories about the historical court cases affirming the right to free speech. As more Americans appear to support authoritarian ideas, we delved into the founders’ belief that civic education and historical knowledge would prevent tyranny – and foster democracy. We could tell you how to think, but we don’t think that would serve you well. There’s more than enough opinion in this world – that’s not what we offer. The Conversation’s politics editors work every day to provide you with the facts and analysis that can help you exercise your power as an informed citizen in our democracy. As the 2024 election campaigns begin in earnest, we will keep to the same principle we articulated in covering the 2020 and 2022 elections: to cover democracy, with all its broad, beautiful, troubling complications and promises. I hope you understand that this approach, to quote journalism professor Jay Rosen, means we cover “not the odds, but the stakes” of this election, and of other events in our democracy. It’s much easier to do horse race reporting than to work with experts on deeply researched, fact-filled analysis, which is what we pride ourselves on. We can’t do this work without the support of readers like you, who understand just what it takes to do these stories. Please consider as large a gift as possible to The Conversation. It’s not just a contribution to our work – it’s a contribution to democracy. [Give monthly]( [Give once]( Think of the value to yourself, to your neighbors and to American voters across the country of journalism that is timely, accurate, fact-checked, evidence-based and trustworthy. With your help, The Conversation will be here to provide it, free for all to read and become better-informed citizens. With gratitude, Naomi Schalit How to donate: By credit card: [( By check: Mail to The Conversation U.S., [303 Wyman St., Suite 300, Waltham, MA 02451.]( With stock: Please write to priyanka@theconversation.com if you are considering a gift of stock or a gift from your IRA. The Conversation US, Inc. is a tax-exempt public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. All donations made are fully tax deductible, if you itemize. Our tax ID number is 46-0906774. [Donate to The Conversation]( [Share]( [Share]( [Forward]( You’re receiving this email as a previous donor or newsletter subscriber to The Conversation U.S. Clicking the Unsubscribe link will cancel your newsletter subscription. If you would like to not receive these emails, please [respond to this email](mailto:us-donations@theconversation.com) and ask us to take you off the list. You would, however, also miss our invites to donor events, impact reports and other exciting updates. The Conversation U.S. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 USA [Unsubscribe](