Laura Carlson
@carlsonlj.bsky.social
88 followers 140 following 15 posts
Political science 51%
Law 28%
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carlsonlj.bsky.social
Over the next year, @AspenInstitute with support from @Pivotal_Ventures will lead @AspenWINChallenge, a nationwide $60M grant competition that’s looking for bold ideas to change the workplace.
Register to apply by 5pm ET on December 11, 2025: winchallenge.org

Reposted by Laura Carlson

kettering.org
☝️ Democratic resistance takes shape in unexpected ways.

🗣️ “Every time you confront an authoritarian regime, society has to do a certain amount of throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing which strategies work.”

Reposted by Laura Carlson

kettering.org
💰 What does financial justice have to do with democracy?

Reposted by Laura Carlson

dwmbarker.bsky.social
How does No Kings represent a new form of protest, and why might it have the potential to reverse America's democratic backsliding? Social movements expert Deva Woodly joins our blog: kettering.org/no-kings-jus...
No Kings, Just Citizens: Civil Society Asserts Its Democratic Power
A call that came about amidst a long protest wave that started right at the turn of the century.
kettering.org

Reposted by Laura Carlson

Reposted by Laura Carlson

kettering.org
“There is nothing at all to stop this president for the next three and a half years other than the American people.”

KF Senior Fellow @judgeluttig.bsky.social joins us on #TheStakes to sound the alarm: Trump’s first 100 days mark a revolt against American democracy.

Reposted by Laura Carlson

kettering.org
What if “getting back to normal” isn’t an option?

Tomorrow’s podcast guest, @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social, says we’re in a new political era where the old playbook won’t save democracy. Coalitions have shifted. Communication has changed. Even the word “democracy” has become polarized.

Reposted by Laura Carlson

kettering.org
Navalny was an international symbol of courage who ceaselessly challenged authoritarian rule in Russia.

Their lives of activism and bravery reflect the purpose of this prize, which celebrates courageous dedication to democracy. kettering.org/judith-brown...
Judith Browne Dianis, Alexei Navalny Win Kettering Democracy Prize
A new prize to honor individuals who embody an uncommon commitment to democracy work despite real threats.
kettering.org

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kettering.org
This new international award honors those who go beyond the ordinary to champion and defend inclusive democracy.

Dianis has spent a lifetime fighting voter suppression, racial injustice, and the criminalization of students in the United States.

Reposted by Laura Carlson

kettering.org
With immense pride, the Kettering Foundation announces the first recipients of the Kettering Democracy Prize: Judith Browne Dianis (@jbrownedianis.bsky.social) and the late #AlexeiNavalny.

carlsonlj.bsky.social
Fabrique Bakery, 550 5th Ave. Recommend the cardamom buns.
donmoyn.bsky.social
New from me: Everything feels overwhelming. But here is a tangible thing you can do: write a comment to oppose Trump's plan to convert 50,000 career civil servants into political appointees. Deadline is May 23. Please share!
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/here-is-a-...
Here is a specific thing you can do to fight Trump's politicization of public services
Plus: what I wrote in Science about the revised Schedule F
donmoynihan.substack.com

carlsonlj.bsky.social
"There is a profound difference between liberty and power. When you have power, you certainly experience it as freedom. You can do what you want to do. Liberty, by contrast, protects people against power. Liberty is what grants you freedom of action even when you are not in control."

Reposted by Laura Carlson

Reposted by Laura Carlson

Reposted by Laura Carlson

dwmbarker.bsky.social
New: Kettering's Melinda Gilmore reacts to the erasure of Black Lives Matter Plaza in D.C. "Sometimes attacks on inclusive democracy are subtle. And sometimes they are in your face."
kettering.org/i-came-to-dc...
I Came to DC for Work. I Left Remembering What We’re Fighting For.
kettering.org

carlsonlj.bsky.social
#Handsoff rally in Xenia, OH. About 500 people turned out in the pouring rain.
People holding protest signs at Greene County Courthouse as cars drive by honking in support.

Reposted by Laura Carlson

kettering.org
Poetry and democracy start with empathy.

We’re proud to honor Dayton’s poet laureate and our artist-in-residence, Sierra Leone, this #NationalPoetryMonth. From Dunbar’s legacy to the voices of today, poets speak to the issues of their time.

We're ensuing that work continues.

Reposted by Laura Carlson

benjaminweiss.bsky.social
NEW: Internal staff email from Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch addressing Trump’s executive order.

“As always, our work will be shaped by the best scholarship, free of partisanship, to help the American public better understand our nation’s history, challenges and trumphs.”

Reposted by Laura Carlson

kettering.org
Political economist @gscheiring.bsky.social warns that speeches about courts and constitutions won't fix this on the latest episode of #TheContext.

Real change comes from addressing economic struggles and social inequality before authoritarians step in with false promises.
Gábor Scheiring: Saving Democracy Is about Saving People
Learn more about The Context → https://www.kettering.org/thecontext/ Subscribe to The Context: Apple → https://apple.co/3YhVv8J Spotify → https://spoti.fi/3Wm778f Amazon → https://amzn.to/3yczEoE RSS → https://bit.ly/3WfZ0Kl A former member of the Hungarian Parliament tells us what interventions Americans need to take right now to avoid the authoritarian backsliding that has dismantled democracy in Hungary since Prime Minister Viktor Orbán came to power in 2010. Gábor Scheiring served in the Hungarian Parliament from 2010–2014. He is an assistant professor of comparative politics at Georgetown University, Qatar, and author of The Retreat of Liberal Democracy: Authoritarian Capitalism and the Accumulative State in Hungary. He is also a Charles F. Kettering Global Fellow. Show links: https://www.gaborscheiring.com/ https://kettering.org/fellow/gabor-scheiring/ The Context is a podcast from the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, about the history, trends, and ideas shaping democracy in the United States and around the world. Every episode, host Alex Lovit, a senior program officer and historian with the foundation, interviews someone who has seen it all—scholars, politicians, journalists, and public servants. We’ll get their take on how we got to where we are, and what they’ve seen through their experience, not only watching the news unfold, but sometimes even being the news itself. In these conversations, we’ll talk about things like inclusive democracy, citizen engagement, government accountability, and the threat of authoritarianism. Every question has its reason, and every answer has its context. Find new episodes Tuesday, every other week.
bit.ly

Reposted by Laura Carlson

timmiller.bsky.social
"The use of prisoners for propaganda purposes is as old as war itself. ISIS made extensive use... The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese...This is what evil, illiberal regimes do."

Now that's us.

Must-read @JVLast

thebulwark.com/p/this-is-th...
This Is the Land of Wolves Now
Masked agents snatching people off the street. Government officials using caged prisoners for propaganda videos. We are the villains.
thebulwark.com

carlsonlj.bsky.social
"[T]he only way to win is people power. That’s it...If the authoritarians can be stopped then the Democratic party will be the vehicle through which people wield power. But...It will have to be pushed into fighting by a mass popular movement." www.thebulwark.com/p/how-to-thi...
How to Think (and Act) Like a Dissident Movement
AOC, solidarity, and people power.
www.thebulwark.com

Reposted by Laura Carlson

kettering.org
In America at a Crossroads, @kettering.org Fanning Fellow Judy Woodruff highlights how one California community is fighting for its comeback one round at a time.

Discover their inspiring journey and see how everyday people are driving change by watching this PBSNewsHour segment: to.pbs.org/4iyH4nQ
How San Bernardino is fighting for a comeback after decades of decline
Political scientist Robert Putnam told Judy Woodruff that strengthening the country’s democracy would begin with grassroots efforts by people stepping up in their own communities. Those efforts will b...
to.pbs.org