Welcome to The Democracy Kitchen!
Residents of all political ideologies believe our creation of the Great American Experiment, U.S. democracy, is in decline. A growing lack of trust in its institutions, public and private, and in our civic infrastructure, permeates society. The Democracy Kitchen is focused on creating solutions to the challenges to rebuild trust and respect in a functioning democracy for America.
Democracy's Main Ingredients
A Recipe for Success
At The Democracy Kitchen, we view democracy as the “main course” of our system of government. Its recipe includes three essential ingredients: society, the news media, and the government.
These three pillars, commonly known as the people, the press, and the public sector, form the civic infrastructure of democracy. Their roles and relationships determine its success.
The Democracy Kitchen works with state and local governments, other public institutions, and news organizations to improve their roles, relationships, and technology as primary providers of public information and education.
Our Unique Approach
Our holistic view to strengthening trust in democracy is through its ingredients, or its pillars by focusing reforms on two deep-rooted and prescribed components: Transparency and Engagement.
These are not new concepts to our democracy. They are a fundamental part of its foundation. Yet, insufficient transparency and unsatisfactory engagement practices in the government and in the news media are major contributors to society’s lack of trust.
These organizations can reverse these downward trends and offer many diverse avenues for building greater transparency and participation. Conquering institutional and cultural challenges with the support of technology offers transformational opportunities that can reap rewards for their organizations, society, and the civic infrastructure.
Identifying the Real Problem
The recipe for our democracy is solid and proven. The critical issue lies within the ingredients and how, when combined, they create the main dish.
Over the last 50 years, the major ingredients of our democracy – the people, the press, and the public sector – have experienced transformational changes within their respective pillars. Social, economic, political, and technological seismic shifts have impacted how these pillars function and how they work together.
We have seen a dramatic restructuring in relationships and roles between the government and the news media –our two primary public information providers. It doesn’t take a five-star chef to know when the ingredients aren't working together, the main dish is going to suffer.
If They Won't Blend, Then Emulsify
Our democracy is still a “signature dish” for representative governing. But the three main ingredients, while still the same, have changed in appearance and behavior. We need to recognize and adjust to these major alterations to make the mix work.
Let's remember that The American Experiment is an experiment. If there’s resistance among the ingredients or the pillars to blend, perhaps we seek alternatives to reimagine how they can work together, and switch to an emulsion that can still create that signature dish.
Emulsification is not changing the ingredients, but rather offers another way of mixing society, the news media, and the government to successfully support a healthy democracy.
Trilateral Democracy: It’s About Trust and Respect
Our nation’s lack of trust in democracy lies in the lack of trust and respect in and among its three pillars. A healthy and functional democracy relies on society, the news media, and the government working together, just like the combined ingredients in that signature dish.
The Founders structured a national government with powers separated among three co-equal branches, each with checks and balances over the other. Our democracy mirrors a similar structure among its three pillars --the people, press, and public sector-- and how they relate separately and with each other. It's what we call "trilateral democracy."
Challenges Threatening Our Democracy (and Its Pillars)
Today, the people face the challenge of polarization, disengagement, and manipulability, where facts, truth, and accountability seem inconsequential. The press confronts financial instability and future institutional uncertainties, with mainstream outlets displaying partisanship and presenting commentary as objective news. Meanwhile, the public sector struggles with hyper-partisanship and loyalty to political parties over the nation, hindering long-term policy planning and threatening stability. These challenges collectively jeopardize confidence and trust in our institutions and in democracy, making it difficult for national civility, unity, equality, and inclusion.
The Square Pegs, Roundtables℠ Approach
Our civic infrastructure is challenged by dwindling trust and respect obstructing productive dialogue. Collaborating amid divergent viewpoints is a daunting task, and when friction turns into high conflict, it hampers progress. Pivotal to navigate today's divisive landscape, The Democracy Kitchen centers on the Square Pegs, Roundtables℠ approach.
Combatting these challenges requires establishing ground rules. Ensuring inclusive representation is paramount. This entails considering factors like geography, culture, and beliefs, and involving those directly impacted. Yet, overcoming this initial hurdle is particularly challenging in our current environment.
We recognize friction is inherent (and necessary) in a robust democracy, however it should not lead to a grease fire.
Our mission extends across various sectors of society, from the news media landscape to governmental corridors. We address polarization, hyper-partisanship, the proliferation of misinformation, transparency and access, and distrust in democratic foundations. We strive to facilitate collaboration among diverse stakeholders, breaking down barriers and forging a path toward positive change. The Democracy Kitchen seeks to rekindle the spirit of constructive engagement, reviving the essence of democracy, one roundtable at a time.
