Democracy Café

Our democracy is experiencing a singular moment, no doubt about it. Chris Gates, for one, our latest Democracy Cafe guest, has faith that we’ll get through this and that just perhaps the outcome of what we're experiencing right now is that we the people will become more attuned, more active, and more informed. Chris has his ear to the ground and finger on our pulse like few other Americans I have the privilege to know. He's past president of the National Civic League, former Executive Director of Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE), and also was president of the Sunlight Foundation, which advocates for open and transparent government; Chris is now a consultant for nonprofits such as Kettering Foundation, New America Foundation, and Common Cause, on issues that have to do with democracy, political reform and civic engagement. As Chris shares with me, he believes that there is potentially a silver lining to what most everybody agrees is a rather rough moment in the history of our country. His h