Over the last 50 years, the United States has faced the twin challenges of a decline in trust in institutions coupled with increasing polarization, which have contributed to worsening economic and political inequality throughout the country. All of that has culminated in where we are today, with a pandemic, an Insurrection in Washington D.C to start the year, and sustained attacks on the importance of racial equity in civics education fueling partisan politics that has harmed our students, our schools, and our democracy. In view of this crisis moment in America’s political culture, how can we rebuild and repair our democracy?
Looking forward, and using public policy as the lever, 50x2026 aims to reduce polarization and rebuild trust in institutions by returning civics education to classrooms. We need to teach the next generations of Americans’ core civic knowledge but also equip them with the skills of how to question, engage, debate, disagree, and cooperate, which is what policymakers have implemented in Massachusetts, Illinois, Utah, and most recently in Rhode Island this spring.