Washington writer specializing in political money, voting rights and election law, Founder and President of @TheCivicCircle.
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Articles by Eliza Carney
Opinion: Make this your year for civic resolutions
If you failed to visit the gym, cut back on sweets or start a new hobby in January, never fear. Experts say it's best to make resolutions a little later in any case. And the most important resolutions you make in 2024 may be less about self-help than about the nation as a whole. There's never been a better year, in fact, for civic resolutions. You may not believe, in these dark times, that your civic pledges can make much difference.
Make this your year for civic resolutions
If you failed to visit the gym, cut back on sweets or start a new hobby in January, never fear. Experts say it’s best to make resolutions a little later in any case. And the most important resolutions you make in 2024 may be less about self-help than about the nation as a whole. There’s never been a better year, in fact, for civic resolutions. You may not believe, in these dark times, that your civic pledges can make much difference.
Commentary: Make this your year for civic resolutions
If you failed to visit the gym, cut back on sweets or start a new hobby in January, never fear. Experts say it’s best to make resolutions a little later in any case. And the most important resolutions you make in 2024 may be less about self-help than about the nation as a whole. There’s never been a better year, in fact, for civic resolutions. You may not believe, in these dark times, that your civic pledges can make much difference.
COMMENTARY: Make this your year for civic resolutions | Jefferson City News-Tribune
COMMENTARY: Make this your year for civic resolutions Today at 3:00 a.m. by Eliza Newlin Carney, The Fulcrum (TNS) If you failed to visit the gym, cut back on sweets or start a new hobby in January, never fear. Experts say it's best to make resolutions a little later in any case.
Civic Learning Week: 'Hamilton’-style education more relevant than ever
Carney runs The Civic Circle, which uses music and the arts to empower young students to understand and participate in democracy. Even before the hit musical “Hamilton” debuted off Broadway nine years ago, composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda knew it could be a powerful teaching tool. “My first musical I ever wrote was a class assignment,” he told Arrive Magazine in 2016.
Newlin Carney: It’s the year for civic resolutions
If you failed to visit the gym, cut back on sweets or start a new hobby in January, never fear. Experts say it’s best to make resolutions a little later in any case. And the most important resolutions you make in 2024 may be less about self-help than about the nation as a whole. There’s never been a better year, in fact, for civic resolutions. You may not believe, in these dark times, that your civic pledges can make much difference.
Make this your year for civic resolutions
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Make this your year for civic resolutions | Opinion
If you failed to visit the gym, cut back on sweets or start a new hobby in January, never fear. Experts say it’s best to make resolutions a little later in any case. And the most important resolutions you make in 2024 may be less about self-help than about the nation as a whole. There’s never been a better year, in fact, for civic resolutions. You may not believe, in these dark times, that your civic pledges can make much difference.
Make this your year for civic resolutions
If you failed to visit the gym, cut back on sweets or start a new hobby in January, never fear. Experts say it's best to make resolutions a little later in any case. And the most important resolutions you make in 2024 may be less about self-help than about the nation as a whole. There’s never been a better year, in fact, for civic resolutions. You may not believe, in these dark times, that your civic pledges can make much difference.
Make this your year for civic resolutions
If you failed to visit the gym, cut back on sweets or start a new hobby in January, never fear. Experts say it's best to make resolutions a little later in any case. And the most important resolutions you make in 2024 may be less about self-help than about the nation as a whole. There's never been a better year, in fact, for civic resolutions. You may not believe, in these dark times, that your civic pledges can make much difference.
Commentary: Make this your year for civic resolutions
If you failed to visit the gym, cut back on sweets or start a new hobby in January, never fear. Experts say it's best to make resolutions a little later in any case. And the most important resolutions you make in 2024 may be less about self-help than about the nation as a whole. There's never been a better year, in fact, for civic resolutions. You may not believe, in these dark times, that your civic pledges can make much difference.
Make this your year for civic resolutions
Carney runs The Civic Circle, which uses music and the arts to empower young students to understand and participate in democracy. If you failed to visit the gym, cut back on sweets or start a new hobby in January, never fear. Experts say it's best to make resolutions a little later in any case. And the most important resolutions you make in 2024 may be less about self-help than about the nation as a whole. There’s never been a better year, in fact, for civic resolutions.
Without the humanities, artificial intelligence spells trouble
Carney is a contributing writer. She also heads The Civic Circle, a member of the CivXNow Coalition. Of all the things there may be to fear and loathe about Google’s new generative artificial intelligence tool, the most offensive is its name: Bard. In scholarly circles, there is only one “Bard,” and that is “The Bard”—namely, “The Bard of Avon,” better known as William Shakespeare, whose writings are everything that AI is not: wise, witty, compassionate, and above all, deeply human.
A turning point for civic education?
Carney is a contributing writer. She also heads The Civic Circle, a member of the CivXNow Coalition. When civic learning makes the news these days, it’s typically to spotlight contentious book bans, school board shouting matches, and bills to keep allegedly “divisive concepts” like racism out of the classroom. But scratch below the surface, and the state of civic education in 2023 is arguably on the upswing.
A different kind of assault on the Capitol
Two years ago, extremists attacked the physical citadel of democracy. Today, extremists are assaulting the institutional pillars of Congress, in an offensive that could inflict even more lasting damage.
The state of democracy improved at home and abroad in 2022
There is plenty of hand wringing over the state of democracy at home and abroad in 2022. Extremists appeared poised to sabotage elections in the U.S., a leading index found half of democratic governments around the world in decline, and Russia’s war against Ukraine placed liberty under direct assault. Yet 2022 was also the year “the good guys struck back,” as Michael Hirsh wrote in Foreign Policy. Ukrainian forces have thrown Russia on the defensive.
Commentary: Where democracy won in 2022
There was plenty of hand wringing over the state of democracy at home and abroad in 2022. Extremists appeared poised to sabotage elections in the U.S.; a leading index found half of democratic governments around the world in decline, and Russia’s war against Ukraine placed liberty under direct assault. Yet 2022 was also the year “the good guys struck back,” as Michael Hirsh wrote in Foreign Policy. Ukrainian forces have thrown Russia on the defensive.
Commentary: Where democracy won in 2022
There was plenty of hand wringing over the state of democracy at home and abroad in 2022. Extremists appeared poised to sabotage elections in the U.S., a leading index found half of democratic governments around the world in decline, and Russia’s war against Ukraine placed liberty under direct assault. Yet 2022 was also the year “the good guys struck back,” as Michael Hirsh wrote in Foreign Policy. Ukrainian forces have thrown Russia on the defensive.
Where Democracy Won in 2022
There was plenty of hand wringing over the state of democracy at home and abroad in 2022. Extremists appeared poised to sabotage elections in the U.S., a leading index found half of democratic governments around the world in decline, and Russia’s war against Ukraine placed liberty under direct assault. Yet 2022 was also the year “the good guys struck back,” as Michael Hirsh wrote in Foreign Policy. Ukrainian forces have thrown Russia on the defensive.
Eliza Newlin Carney column: The civic power of charity Original
Eliza Newlin Carney column: The civic power of charity THE ASSOCIATED PRESS By Eliza Newlin Carney By Eliza Newlin Carney From omicron infections to climate disasters, gun deaths to economic uncertainty, congressional stalemate to ongoing threats to democracy, Americans arguably have more to worry about than to celebrate . Yet bad times also have a way of bringing out the best in people, and nowhere is this more evident than in the charitable sector.
Terris E. Todd: Black American triumphs outweigh our tragedies
Virginia Republican candidate for lieutenant governor Winsome Sears takes the stage with her family during an election night rally at the Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles on Nov. 2, 2021, in Chantilly, Virginia. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/TNS It always seems as if the tragedies of Black Americans — instead of our triumphs — remain center stage in the media.
Eliza Newlin Carney: The civic power of charity
Workers prepare vegetables at the World Central Kitchen in Les Cayes where thousands of hot meals are prepared daily to feed victims of the earthquake. Jose A Iglesias/El Nuevo Herald/TNS From omicron infections to climate disasters, gun deaths to economic uncertainty, congressional stalemate to ongoing threats to democracy, Americans arguably have more to worry about than to celebrate this holiday season.
Increase in charitable giving proves the power of individual Americans | Opinion
Charitable giving in the United States reached a record $471.4 billion in 2020, a 5.1 percent increase over the previous year. Getty Images From omicron infections to climate disasters, gun deaths to economic uncertainty, congressional stalemate to ongoing threats to democracy, Americans arguably have more to worry about than to celebrate this holiday season. Yet bad times also have a way of bringing out the best in people, and nowhere is this more evident than in the charitable sector.
Kathy Wilkes: The right to refuse dangerous work
Recovery operations continue after the partial collapse of an Amazon Fulfillment Center in Edwardsville, Illinois on December 12, 2021. The facility was damaged by a tornado on December 10, 2021. Contributed / TIM VIZER/TNS The massive tornadoes that struck in mid-December claimed the lives of more than a dozen workers at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois and the Mayfield candle factory in Kentucky. Some of the surviving workers said their requests to leave were met with threats of termination.
Charity, whether dollars or hours, is key to democracy
Volunteers hand out food to those in need after a tornado ripped through Dawson Springs., Ky., in December. Americans donate billions of hours to charitable causes. Carney is a journalist and founder of The Civic Circle, which uses the arts to empower young students to understand and participate in democracy.
Some good news came out of COP26 in Glasgow
While Greta Thunberg dismissed COP26 as a "failure," the rising influence of young protesters is a sign of good things to come, writes Carney. Carney is a journalist and founder of The Civic Circle, which uses the arts to empower young students to understand and participate in democracy. In the quest for civic success stories, the very last place to look might appear to be climate news.
Commentary: Why democracy needs good news
Author and policy expert Robert Kagan drew broad notice with his Washington Post essay declaring that the nation is “already in a constitutional crisis” and may be on the cusp of “mass violence,” but he is hardly the first to forecast democracy’s demise. Headlines like “Will 2024 Be the Year American Democracy Dies?” and books with titles like “How Democracies Die” and “Twilight of Democracy” have become commonplace in the post-Trump era.
Column: Why democracy needs good news
Author and policy expert Robert Kagan drew broad notice with his Washington Post essay declaring that the nation is “already in a constitutional crisis” and may be on the cusp of “mass violence,” but he is hardly the first to forecast democracy’s demise. Headlines like “Will 2024 Be the Year American Democracy Dies?” and books with titles like “How Democracies Die” and “Twilight of Democracy” have become commonplace in the post-Trump era.
Eliza Newlin Carney: Why democracy needs good news
Author and policy expert Robert Kagan drew broad notice with his Washington Post essay declaring that the nation is “already in a constitutional crisis” and may be on the cusp of “mass violence,” but he is hardly the first to forecast democracy’s demise. Headlines like “Will 2024 Be the Year American Democracy Dies?” and books with titles like “How Democracies Die” and “Twilight of Democracy” have become commonplace in the post-Trump era.
OPINION: Why democracy needs good news
Voting rights legislation named for the late Rep. John Lewis is a potential bright spot for democracy, writes Carney. Eliza Newlin Carney is a journalist and founder of The Civic Circle, which uses the arts to empower young students to understand and participate in democracy. This is the first in Carney's new monthly column, The Civic Voice.
America’s CEOs: Will the Sleeping Giant Wake Up?
The nation's CEOs have possibly never had so much power to influence elections and how they are run, or so much pressure exerted on them over how to use it. Americans now trust the business sector more than their own government, and corporate leaders have landed squarely in the middle of a high-stakes fight over voters' access to the polls.
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This Year, 361 State Bills Aim to Restrict Voter Access-But 843 Aim to Expand It
Updated Friday, April 2, at 9:30 a.m. PT. The For the People Act and other pending bills across the country would expand access to the polls and secure our voting rights. 2020 Women’s March, Washington D.C. (risingthermals / Flickr) This article was originally published by The Fulcrum. It is reposted here with permission. The public’s access to electoral democracy may be about to dangerously contract—or else expand dramatically.
Turning point for voting rights approaches, but direction signals point two ways
The public's access to electoral democracy may be about to dangerously contract — or else expand dramatically. So far, the movement to restrict access to the ballot box has gotten by far the most play. The Georgia law enacted to national headlines last week goes way beyond barring water deliveries at polling places, in part by setting a disturbing precedent in stripping administrative power from nonpartisan election officials and placing it in the hands of politicians.
After the attack, government's 'first branch' struggles to keep from breaking
As worker bees like Republican Sen. Rob Portman head for the exits, it will become even harder for Congress to pass legislation. To bemoan the trials faced by members of Congress these days may seem naïve, even perverse. The lawmakers on Capitol Hill represent one of the most hated classes in American public life. If service in Congress has become polarized, fruitless and even dangerous, anti-government rhetoric from Capitol Hill ideologues is at least partly to blame.
For educators, a time of opportunity after civic life's current stress test
Civic educators watched last week's riotous assault on the Capitol with a mixture of alarm and hope. The mob's brazen disregard for the truth and the rule of law shook teachers around the nation, but also made a stunning case for the need to invest in civic learning, which could enjoy a breakthrough year in 2021.
What About Next Time?
By Eliza Newlin Carney By Rudy Bercan The presidential election is over, despite ongoing efforts to rewrite history. President Donald Trump’s failure to subvert the will of the voters is thanks largely to a half-dozen guardrails that held fast against an extreme democracy stress test, as I wrote in The Fulcrum. These included the military, the courts, the media, the states, voting machine paper trails, and the voters themselves. But what about next time?
6 reasons why democracy's guardrails held after the election
Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, ensured the military would play "no role" in post-election disputes. The certification of election results on Monday in Arizona and Wisconsin, the last of the six states where President Trump challenged his defeat, is a bittersweet victory for advocates of rule by the people. The nation's brush with autocracy was troublingly close, and the damage to public confidence in elections could be lasting.
Election Day 2020-Silver Linings Edition
By Eliza Newlin Carney Photo by Shutterstock Election Day is here, and Americans are on edge. Storefronts and office buildings are boarded up in anticipation of street violence. Partisans on both sides are warning that the opposition will rig the outcome. At this moment of national anxiety and even paranoia, it behooves us to pause and take note of the silver linings that peek out from behind these clouds of disruption and fear.
What a Democratic sweep would mean for democracy reform
Joe Biden unveiled a full slate of political reforms early in the campaign but has spent minimal time talking about these issues in recent months. American democracy has taken a beating over the last four years, but Election Day may set the table for historic reforms. The severe stress test for democratic norms can be counted on to further intensify if President Trump gets re-elected. Continuation of a divided Congress would likely perpetuate gridlock on most policy fronts.
What a Democratic sweep would mean for democracy reform
Joe Biden unveiled a full slate of political reforms early in the campaign but has spent minimal time talking about these issues in recent months. American democracy has taken a beating over the last four years, but Election Day may set the table for historic reforms. The severe stress test for democratic norms can be counted on to further intensify if President Trump gets re-elected. Continuation of a divided Congress would likely perpetuate gridlock on most policy fronts.
How to Save an Election
By Eliza Newlin Carney Photo by Shutterstock On the surface, this election looks like a disaster waiting to happen. Congress approved only a small fraction ($400 million) of the estimated $4 billion that states needed to run the election amid a pandemic. Lawsuits, postal service delays, and fears about voter suppression or a looming constitutional crisis have left many Americans bracing for Election Day chaos.
Businesses step up funding for elections, despite objections
Private-sector coalitions are providing masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and other supplies to ensure safety in voting locations. Conservatives hoping to prevent private money from helping Americans vote have so far taken direct aim at just a couple of billionaires: Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, who on Tuesday announced another $100 million in donations to help local governments conduct comprehensive and safe balloting in three weeks.
Opinion: The drop box emerges as a compromise between mail and the voting booth
There is no silver bullet that will save this pandemic-plagued election. But there’s one solution that is so affordable, practical and achievable that it deserves special notice: ballot drop boxes. For voters too afraid of the coronavirus to turn up at the polls, and worried the Postal Service will be too overwhelmed to deliver ballots on time, drop boxes — secure, locked structures that can be temporary or permanent — offer a relatively simple and confidence-boosting fix.
The drop box rises as a compromise between the mail and the voting booth
The drop box rises as a compromise between the mail and the voting booth In this Aug. 4, 2020 photo, a person drops off a ballot for Washington state's primary election at a collection box at the King County Administration Building in Seattle.
The Drop Box Rises As a Compromise Between the Mail and the Voting Booth
There is no silver bullet that will save this pandemic-plagued election. When the president calls on his supporters to commit a felony by voting twice, and on the same day his attorney general fabricates a fake election fraud indictment, it’s clear the climax of 2020 will be like no presidential race before. But there’s one solution that is so affordable, practical and achievable that it deserves special notice: ballot drop boxes.
The drop box rises as a compromise between the mail and the voting booth — The Solutions Journalism Exchange
There is no silver bullet that will save this pandemic-plagued election. When the president calls on his supporters to commit a felony by voting twice, and on the same day his attorney general fabricates a fake election fraud indictment, it's clear the climax of 2020 will be like no presidential race before. But there's one solution that is so affordable, practical and achievable that it deserves special notice: ballot drop boxes.
Drop boxes offer ideal compromise for 2020 voting concerns
Connecticut is among the states significantly increasing the number of ballot drop boxes available to voters this election cycle. There is no silver bullet that will save this pandemic-plagued election. When the president calls on his supporters to commit a felony by voting twice, and on the same day his attorney general fabricates a fake election fraud indictment, it's clear the climax of 2020 will be like no presidential race before.
Senator Questions Hatch Act Violation at FEC
Federal Election Commission Vice Chairwoman Ann Ravel went to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to testify about undisclosed political money in California, but she ended up answering questions about an FEC employee’s violation of the Hatch Act. Shortly before the Senate Rules Committee’s hearing Wednesday morning on campaign finance disclosure problems, the federal Office of Special Counsel announced that an unnamed FEC lawyer had resigned after admitting to Hatch Act violations.
Surge of donations to Black candidates tests old assumptions
Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images Cori Bush, who was dismissed as unelectable two years ago, tripled her 2018 fundraising total on her way to defeating an incumbent congressman in Missouri's Democratic primary Aug. 4. Black Lives Matter activist Cori Bush's victory over Rep. Lacy Clay, a senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus, captures both the pain and the promise facing a new generation of African American candidates.
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