WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two national nonprofits have launched a new fellowship program to develop new ideas for improving American democracy.
Bridge Alliance and the National Academy of Public Administration today unveiled the Fellows for Democracy and Public Service Initiative. Designed to elevate distributed leadership across the democracy reform and civic renewal space, the initiative is a step toward integrating institutional wisdom with civic imagination by linking the Academy’s distinguished Fellows with the dynamic, cross-sector ecosystem cultivated by the Bridge Alliance.
“We believe it is imperative this work results in clear, actionable recommendations for reform and renewal. This program is not designed to generate more awareness. Instead, it is built to produce executable action plans: translating research and dialogue into tangible reforms, and generating actionable insights through collaboration with diverse stakeholders,” said James-Christian Blockwood, President & CEO of the National Academy of Public Administration.
“Together, we are not simply launching a program. We are building a leadership infrastructure for the future of American democracy,” said David Nevins, founder and board chair of the Bridge Alliance.
These programs are not governance structures - they are leadership ecosystems. They replace top-down models with distributed expertise, collaborative strategy, and public-facing storytelling. Fellows will serve as conveners, connectors, and catalysts, amplifying field insights, shaping democratic narratives, and stewarding resilience through shared leadership.
Fellows will anchor their work in six core sectors, each stewarding a vital component of a thriving democratic republic:
● Public Service Leadership and Civil Service Reform. Fellows will examine the systems, rules, and practices that govern the federal workforce, identifying opportunities to modernize for greater agility and impact. This includes strategies to recruit, develop, and sustain the next generation of public leaders equipped to navigate complexity and deliver results.
● Voting and Elections. Trust in our electoral processes is foundational to democratic legitimacy. Fellows will analyze all components of voting and election administration, from registration to ballot security, offering actionable recommendations to ensure impartiality, transparency, and public trust. This includes ethics standards for senior election officials and safeguards against political interference.
● Bridging & Dialogue. In an era of division, this sector explores the art and practice of bridging differences. Fellows will elevate efforts that foster mutual understanding, respectful dialogue, and shared purpose across ideological, cultural, and generational lines. Constructive engagement is not just possible, it is essential to democratic renewal.
● Electoral Systems Reform. Nonpartisan reforms that ensure robust competition and fair representation are vital to a functional government accountable to the people. Fellows will examine innovations such as ranked-choice voting, gerrymandering reform, campaign finance transparency, and independent voter rights, co-creating the policies and movements that reshape how power is held and shared.
● Trustworthy Information Leads to Trust in Government. Democracy depends not only on what we know, but on how we share information. Fellows in this sector will focus on restoring a shared civic reality through rigorous measurement and reliable reporting, empowering citizens to interpret trends, evaluate outcomes, and advocate for evidence-based change.
● Pluralism. America’s strength lies in its diversity, and in our capacity to navigate it with empathy and imagination. Fellows will explore how pluralism is practiced, challenged, and reimagined across communities and institutions, amplifying stories of coexistence, conflict, and cultural evolution to shape a republic where every voice matters and every story counts.
This partnership between the Bridge Alliance and the Academy reflects our shared commitment to building durable civic infrastructure rooted in collaboration, powered by expertise, and guided by purpose. Follow along with updates from the program and its progress by signing up at our site: https://napawash.org/bridge-alliance
About the National Academy of Public Administration
Chartered by Congress to provide nonpartisan expert advice, the Academy is an independent nonprofit organization established in 1967 to assist government leaders in building more effective, efficient, accountable, and transparent organizations. Learn more at www.napawash.org.
About Bridge Alliance Education Fund
Bridge Alliance Education Fund is a catalyst organization empowering a diverse democracy-renewal movement through civic engagement, media innovation, leadership development, and bridge-building across difference.
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