Fixing our broken political system isn’t just about elections - the decline and the rebuilding starts with each of us in our neighborhoods. Political scientist Bob Putnam ("Bowling Alone", "The Upswing") has shown again and again that democracy rises and falls with civic participation. When people stop joining clubs, churches, dance groups, or bowling leagues, trust and cooperation erode. When they rebuild those face‑to‑face networks, democracy strengthens.
This has been a trend since the 1950s - and COVID threw us off a cliff. History proves this is reversible. In America’s Progressive Era, civic life was rebuilt after the Gilded Age collapse, and government became more responsive. Putnam’s studies in postwar Italy and post‑WWII America show the same pattern: strong civic engagement = strong democracy. The documentary *Join or Die* (on Netflix) explains this beautifully. The good news is people actually *like* this stuff. After COVID, there’s a real hunger for in‑person community. We just have to “turn the dial up to 11” on rebuilding clubs, associations, and local groups. Here in West Seattle, we tried it: on Nov 8 we held a **Joiner Jamboree**—1,000 people packed into a church basement with 60 local clubs. The Kiwanis signed up more members in one day than all year. Dance groups discovered they could share infrastructure. Political groups started planning joint efforts. In short, we saw civic life being rebuilt in real time. So what can we do? Start small, start local. Organize events where people can connect face‑to‑face. Support clubs, choirs, hiking groups, service organizations. Every new member, every collaboration, is a brick in the foundation of democracy. If we want to fix politics, we need to fix community first.
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