What We’re Reading: New Report on the Health of State Democracies

By Renee Baharaeen, AASCU Civic Engagement Intern and Truman State University Student

The Center for American Progress (CAP) released a new report about the health of state democracies.  At this morning’s panel, Delegate Alfonso Lopez (D-VA), former state senator Nina Turner (D-OH), political/election law attorney Dara Lindenbaum, and Senator Richard Katz (R-ME) shared their thoughts about the topic with moderator Michele Jawando of CAP.

The report covers three aspects of #healthydemocracy in all 50 states and the District of Columbia: 1.) accessibility of the ballot; 2.) representation in state government and 3.) influence in the political system. The panelists brought to the topic a variety of perspectives from states ranked across the spectrum of the report’s findings and offered insights as to how issues of accessibility, representation and influence play out in different states.  According to the researchers and panelists, all states have room for growth and improvement.

To see where your state ranks, visit the Health of State Democracies’ interactive map.