In the U.S., democracy begins in the classroom

By Amirah Ismail When does democracy start? In America, kids experience democracy as early as the first grade. Through participation in group activities, American students are immersed in  democratic principles like choice, consensus, and freedom of expression from an early age. In elementary schools — or primary schools — teachers and students make decisions at the beginning of the school ...
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By | 9 December, 2021 | Topics: Education, History, Human Rights, News | Tags: , , , , ,

To support democracy, fight corruption

By Leigh Hartman The United States is stepping up efforts to combat corruption and support honest governance around the world. President Biden, in a  June 3 memorandum , elevated the fight against global corruption to a national security priority. Anti-corruption efforts are one of three pillars of the Summit for Democracy that Biden will host December 9-10. The other two ...
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By | 29 September, 2021 | Topics: News, U.S. Agencies | Tags: , , , ,

The presidential Cabinet explained [video]

A new U.S. president carefully considers the people whom he nominates to join his Cabinet — his close partners in governing. Who are the men and women who make up this important group, and what do they do? The term “Cabinet” is never mentioned in the  U.S. Constitution , but the video explains where the term came ...
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By | 25 January, 2021 | Topics: Key Officials, News, President of the United States, Video | Tags: , , ,

Why so much time from election to inauguration of a U.S. president?

While many democracies swap in new leaders in a sprint, the U.S. ambles along with a transition period of 11 weeks. But slow as that might seem, it’s shorter than the four months the Constitution originally left for the handoff of power from an incumbent to a new president. Picking up the pace The original ...
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By | 14 January, 2021 | Topics: History, News, News from Washington | Tags: , , , ,

Millions of Venezuelans vote for democracy

Venezuelans at home and abroad stood up for democracy, rejecting efforts by the illegitimate Maduro regime to exert authoritarian control over the National Assembly elections. The United States congratulated the Venezuelan opposition party — led by legitimate interim President Juan Guaidó — for successfully holding the consulta popular — or “ the people’s referendum ” — from December ...
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By | 30 December, 2020 | Topics: Human Rights, Key Officials, News, News from Washington | Tags: , , , ,

The two choices for Venezuela’s future

By Noelani Kirschner As the fraudulent December 6 elections raise questions about the future of Venezuela, one thing remains clear: Venezuelans cannot have democracy while an illegitimate authoritarian regime is in power, says the U.S. Department of State. “Many of Venezuela’s most popular politicians are not permitted to run in the election, opposition political parties have been ...
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By | 30 November, 2020 | Topics: History, Human Rights, Key Officials, News | Tags: , , ,

Understanding America’s Electoral College [infographic] (June 25)

Understanding America’s Electoral College [infographic] (June 25)   When U.S. citizens cast their presidential election ballots, they’ll be voting for someone like Hagner Mister or Rex Teter. You probably have not heard of Mister or Teter. In fact, most voters who chose them in 2016 did not know who they were. During the last presidential ...
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By | 25 June, 2020 | Topics: News, Policy | Tags: , , ,

President Trump orders police reforms (June 25)

President Trump orders police reforms (June 25)   President Trump has issued an executive order instituting nationwide police reforms to keep communities safe and ensure equal justice and treatment for all Americans. The  Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities  mandates that police departments will receive accredited training on de-escalation, use of force and community engagement. Additionally, a database will track police ...
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By | 25 June, 2020 | Topics: Key Documents, Key Officials, News, News from Washington, President of the United States | Tags: , ,

U.S. officials answer calls for police reform (June 17)

U.S. officials answer calls for police reform (June 17)   State and local officials in the United States are responding to citizens’ calls for more law-enforcement accountability. By design, U.S. law enforcement is responsive to American citizens. There are more than 17,000 city, county, state and federal police agencies in the United States, each with ...
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By | 17 June, 2020 | Topics: News | Tags: , ,

How police are held accountable in the U.S. (June 5)

How police are held accountable in the U.S. (June 5)   Recent events involving police and protesters in the U.S. have some people wondering if officers of the law are held responsible like everyone else. They are. Towns and cities typically take a two-pronged approach after a police officer uses deadly force: One inquiry looks to see ...
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By | 5 June, 2020 | Topics: Human Rights, News | Tags: , ,

Iran struggles with economy broken by regime failures (May 20)

Iran struggles with economy broken by regime failures (May 20)   The Iranian regime is struggling to avoid economic disaster after the regime’s years of economic mismanagement and terrorist financing. More than 7 million Iranians have lost their jobs or been furloughed during the COVID-19 crisis, regime spokesman Ali Rabiei recently acknowledged, according to Voice ...
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By | 20 May, 2020 | Topics: Human Rights, News | Tags: , , , , ,

Want democracy? Keep the press free and active (April 29)

Want democracy? Keep the press free and active (April 29)   A strong democracy encourages a free press — one that keeps the public informed, enables a diversity of voices, and holds leaders accountable. There’s so much news around us — on the internet, television and radio and in newspapers — it’s easy to forget ...
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By | 29 April, 2020 | Topics: Education, News | Tags: , , ,

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