In the U.S. the electorate skews white, wealthy, and old because such demographics are more likely to vote. Creating mandatory voting laws would increase voter turnout and thus increase voting equity.

In Takoma Park, Maryland, the voting age for local elections is 16. Lowering the age has increased turnout among youth—and studies show that the sooner people start to vote, the more likely they are to be lifetime voters.

The Flint lead crisis has made us think of tainted water as an urban problem, aging pipes slowly poisoning the children of poor communities - but a huge amount of America’s substandard drinking water is actually consumed in all but invisible rural areas. An arsenic-poisoned community in California becomes the test case for a new legal idea: the 'human right to water.'

El Poder del Consumidor is an organization fighting Coca-Cola's power over health care decisions in Mexico. The organization tried many tactics but only found success after finding friends with enough money to compete with the beverage industry giants.

With a major political party taking over the presidency, most governorships, Congress, and state legislatures, the minority party can feel powerless. However, there are effective ways to organize protests including using humor, acting locally, and intense planning strategies.

Ninety percent of Americans believe that the political system is broken and nothing can be done. Yet in 2016, South Dakota a state with low probability for political reform became the first state in a decade to adopt public funding of future political campaigns all thanks to a grass-roots citizens movement.

In Iowa, the “redistricting” of the state’s legislative and congressional boundaries is done by mapmakers who abide by nonpartisan metrics that all sides agree are fair — a seemingly revolutionary concept in the high-stakes decennial rite of redistricting.

The pressure is on for the federal government to spend tax money more wisely. Evidence-based policy making is gaining in popularity as a way for the government to spend tax money wisely. While not quite as flashy or exciting as past ways, this has a proven track record of positive impact.

When we consider the vast sums that governments spend — and the responsibility public officials bear — it seems crazy that policy makers don’t routinely make good use of evidence. The new White House effort to base spending decisions on hard evidence is a step toward delivering more social good per taxpayer dollar.

Indiana officials didn't set out to close the wealth gap. But that's exactly what happened in Boone County, as the middle class moved in to both posh and poor neighborhoods amidst a changing tax regime.

Low voter turnouts, populists offering half-truths, corporate interests, and the blurring of facts in the media are signs that democracy around the world is in turmoil. Internationally, citizens have assembled different programs and initiatives that arm ordinary people with information about policy and their elected officials, as well as distinctive ways to reform the electoral system.

LIFT, founded in 1988 by college students, employs an approach to poverty alleviation grounded in building relationships with communities. LIFT finds volunteers who have demonstrated empathy and then employs them to meet with local families in need, helping them set goals, monitor their progress, and access services.