NEWS

January 27, 2025 "To heal the nation, Trump could create the largest national service program in history." Authors John M. Bridgeland and Alan Khazei argue that a large-scale national service program, combining civilian and military service, could address America’s pressing civic challenges, foster unity, and create a lasting legacy for the nation. They propose leveraging bipartisan support to expand existing programs, establish new service corps, and incentivize participation with benefits like living stipends and education awards. Create your free account to access the Washington Post Opinion article.

January 2025: Discover "The Best Worst Thing," a podcast about malaria from @Malaria No More! This series explores the ongoing fight to end Malaria, featuring inspiring stories and insights from global health leaders. Learn how innovation, leadership, and bold action are making malaria elimination one of the world’s best humanitarian investments. In Episode 1: Global Health Moonshot  we hear from two pioneers at the heart of this global health revolution: John Bridgeland and Rear Admiral Tim Ziemer, the first U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator, share how a unique convergence of global crises, political leadership, and ambitious vision laid the groundwork for the modern malaria campaign, driving the largest expansion of global health programming in history. Listen to 🎧 Episode 1 now, on Spotify.

December 27, 2024: In a recent discussion on Lawfare Daily, John Bridgeland, Executive Chair and CEO of More Perfect and former Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, conversed with Kevin Frazier, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, about America's preparedness for large-scale conflict and the nation's culture of service. They examined current efforts to reform and expand military, national, and public service opportunities, emphasizing the importance of fostering a robust service culture to enhance civil defense amid geopolitical uncertainties.

December 10, 2024: More Perfect announced a $11.3 million commitment from the Ibis Group to revitalize American history and civic education. This generous contribution supports More Perfect's first Democracy Goal, Universal Civic Learning, aiming to tackle the widespread lack of historic and civic knowledge among students and adults—an essential foundation for a thriving democracy. Read more details here.

November 11, 2024: Leaders from across the political spectrum signed a statement on Trust in Elections as a Cornerstone of American Democracy. It is essential that, as a country, we work to protect the integrity of our elections in a strictly nonpartisan manner. You can read about it on Politico here.

October 23, 2024: In an October 2024 panel at Harvard, experts emphasized the critical role of higher education in strengthening democracy. They advocated for mandatory courses in American government, politics, history, and economics for all students, regardless of major, to prepare them for active civic participation. John Bridgeland, chair of Civic Enterprises, suggested integrating public service opportunities with tuition incentives to foster a sense of collective responsibility. Danielle Allen, director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, highlighted the importance of equipping students with the intellectual and social tools needed for fact-based debate and engagement in democratic processes. Access the article on The Harvard Gazette.

October 15, 2024: Ethel Kennedy, despite enduring unimaginable personal tragedies, dedicated her life to uplifting others, particularly vulnerable youth, through initiatives like the Earth Conservation Corps and fostering national volunteerism. Her relentless commitment to service transcended political divides, creating opportunities for millions of Americans to help their communities and heal the nation's wounds. In her passing, we are reminded of the spirit she embodied—compassion, unity, and hope—values that are sorely needed in today's fractured world. Read John Bridgeland's reflections in the entire piece here.

September 25, 2024: Approaching the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, More Perfect and George Washington's Mount Vernon brought together over 300 leaders nationwide to explore ways to strengthen democracy and advance five core Democracy Goals. View event photos here.

September 23, 2024: By John Bridgeland, Elizabeth (Beth) Cameron, J. Stephen Morrison, Jennifer B. Nuzzo, Aquielle Person. Strengthening democracy and public trust in institutions is essential for effective pandemic preparedness. This article highlights the need for strategies that balance individual freedoms with collective responsibility. Read in depth here.

August 29, 2024:  A 20-year effort to tackle America’s high school dropout crisis led to historic improvements in graduation rates across the country.  This success offers valuable lessons for tackling other social challenges through sustained collaboration and tailored solutions to diverse community needs. For more detailed insights, you can visit the full feature article written by Bob Balfanz & John Bridgeland here.

August 1, 2024:  YouthBuild partners with opportunity youth in over 280 programs globally, helping them reclaim education, gain job skills, and become community leaders, while more than 200,000 young people have contributed over 50 million hours of service to urban, rural, and tribal communities. In a video interview, YouthBuild graduates share their experiences in the program with founder Dorothy Stoneman and John Bridgeland. Watch the video interview in it's entirety here.

June 24, 2024:  More Perfect has partnered with over 30 presidential libraries and institutions to strengthen U.S. democracy through evidence-based programming that explores shared history.

June 3, 2024:  At the first Connecticut Service Symposium, Gov. Lamont and national leaders discussed plans to double national service opportunities for young adults by 2026, with institutions and private donors committing over $200,000 to enhance youth service programs across the U.S. and strengthen public service efforts. Read the full article here.

May 28, 2024:  Older sacred places in the U.S., crucial for providing social services and civic engagement, are disappearing due to shrinking memberships and financial struggles, and a National Endowment for Sacred and Civic Places is needed to preserve these iconic religious properties and their community contributions through public-private partnerships, while adhering to church-state separation rules. Read the OpEd by John Bridgeland and John Dilulio here.

April 2024:  Declining trust in institutions like government and media, alongside increased political polarization, underscores the importance for higher education to prioritize teaching democratic values and inspire active civic participation. Colleges and universities can support democracy through various initiatives including civic learning, national service, bridging divides, ensuring trustworthy governance, and access to reliable information. This article, written by John M. Bridgeland, Cecilia Muñoz, and Danielle Allen "reminds us that higher education has a vital role to play in our democratic renewal through engaging students’ civic learning and supporting their development as civic actors" and can be accessed at this link.

April 9-11, 2024: More Perfect and the LBJ Foundation co-hosted a conference on the state of trusted news and its impact on democracy, featuring speakers across the political spectrum at the LBJ Library in Austin, TX. Keynote speakers included: Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Kara Swisher, Larry Willmore, Judy Woodruff, Karl Rove and Jen Palmieri. The conference consisted of panels from leaders across technology, national news, local media, and philanthropy who offered concrete solutions to the challenges presented by social media, gaps in local news, and national media. Read more about the event on the More Perfect website here or on TrustNewsDemocracy.org.

March 26, 2024: Melody Barnes and John Bridgeland, former White House officials representing different political perspectives, discuss strategies for enhancing democracy and fostering collaboration across ideological divides. Listen to this “Common Law” podcast, S6 E4: A Prescription for Saving Democracy, sponsored by the University of Virginia School of Law here.

January 9, 2024:  "Imagine a generation raised on serving others" - Utah is launching a comprehensive initiative to expand service and volunteering, including mandatory high school service hours, service opportunities for businesses with government contracts, and a groundbreaking Service Year Fellowship program, with plans to share innovative practices nationwide. Read the Opinion piece by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and John Bridgeland here.