Kettering Foundation

Nonpartisan, nonprofit, operating foundation rooted in the American tradition of inventive research focused on the needs of democracy worldwide.

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

Press access is not just about who gets into the room. It shapes what the public can know about its government.

KF Fanning Fellow @JudyWoodruff and Senior Fellow @RuthBenGhiat bring decades of expertise in journalism and authoritarianism to the latest episode of #TheStakes with @bradrourke. Together, they analyze President Trump's decision to exclude @CNN, @MSNOWNews, and @politico from the White House press pool. https://t.co/EspjWsztS5

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

At St. Leonard CHI Living Communities in Ohio, KF President and CEO Sharon L. Davies drew on her family history and our nation’s past to explore what it means to strengthen democracy for future generations.

Watch Community Conversations: Our Democracy at 250: https://t.co/93BI0wwE4L

[Politics and Prose @PoliticsProse]

Friday (10/30), join our panel discussion What’s Next for American Democracy? With  William Kristol & María Teresa Kumar moderated by Judy Woodruff - 7pm @ Conn Ave:https://t.co/1K1tAVEZam  @KetteringFdn

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

In last week’s episode of #TheContext, host Alex Lovit talks with Dorian Warren, co-president of @CommunityChange, about what it takes to make government more accountable to the people it is meant to serve.

Listen to the full episode: https://t.co/7LRXJjN4Es

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

Native Americans, like all citizens, have the right to vote, but many face unique obstacles. This is what voting requirements can look like for Native Americans:

• Difficulty securing a US government-issued ID
• Uncertainty around whether a tribal ID will be accepted
• Inability to prove residency because you don't have a conventional street address
• Challenges finding transportation to travel long distances to a polling place
• Limited or no residential mail delivery

Through humor, Ricardo Caté makes that difference easier to see. Native people have long used art and storytelling to preserve experience, challenge assumptions, and help others understand their communities. Caté continues that tradition here, using art to show how access to democracy can look very different depending on where you live and what resources are available to you.

As the 2026 midterms approach, consider voting early, so you have more time to work through any unexpected issues. #ArtInAction

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

At a recent JFK Jr. Forum at Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics, KF Senior Fellow @DavidAFrench explored how growing public attention to national politics is drawing focus away from local news, local elections, and the issues that directly affect communities: https://t.co/BMdSNkZ40j

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

Thank you to everyone who joined and supported This Day Live: The Next Realignment in Washington, DC!

We were proud to partner with the This Day podcast for an evening exploring what history can teach us about the political changes shaping our democracy, with a special appearance by Kettering Senior Fellow @RevDrBarber.

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

KF Senior Fellow @RuthBenGhiat examines how authoritarian leaders use elections to consolidate power, drawing parallels between Mussolini’s Italy and modern-day efforts to manipulate electoral systems while maintaining the appearance of democracy: https://t.co/6THNxPxDgj

[Global Democracy Coalition @GloDemCoalition]

What does it really mean to humanize democracy?

In the second article of our Coalition Partner and GDC Global Forum sponsor @KetteringFdn's latest Interconnected newsletter, @mayvnne, Executive Director of fellow Coalition Partner @NuruTrustKenya, reflects on that question through her experience at the Athens Democracy Forum.

From Nairobi to Athens, Mary carries three deceptively simple questions: Who gets to speak? Who gets heard? And who is left outside the room?

Her reflection challenges us to look beyond who is represented in global democracy conversations and ask who actually has the opportunity to shape them. She explores the gatekeeping that persists across the democracy sector, the barriers facing grassroots voices from the global majority, and why meaningful intergenerational dialogue requires bringing young people into the conversation, not placing them alongside it.

And she leaves us with an important challenge: “None of this is about lowering the bar. It is about widening the door.”

This is a reflection worth sitting with. If democracy is meant to serve everyone, then the spaces where its future is debated must become braver, broader and more human.

Don’t miss Mary’s powerful reflection. Link in the comments.
#Democracy #GDCForum2026 #GDCGlobalForum #AthensDemocracyForum #YouthParticipation #InclusiveDemocracy

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

As concerns about rising authoritarianism grow, these leaders are coming together across religious traditions to protect the common good and defend the rights and freedoms that belong to us all. Their message is clear: We cannot afford to stay silent when our communities and democracy are at risk.

Wherever you are today, we invite you to be part of this moment.

Watch this event unfold live at noon ET: https://t.co/LNuW5Dgc4Y

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

Today, KF Senior Fellow @RevDrBarber II joins faith leaders representing more than 10 million Americans outside the White House to launch a #PledgeForMoralDefiance.

https://t.co/ga7LBmspzS

[Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II @RevDrBarber]

https://t.co/GpIzryLqa6

[Repairers of the Breach @BRepairers]

We must refuse authoritarianism. I’m joining religious leaders representing more than 10 million people of faith to call it an existential threat to our country. Read why and add your name: https://t.co/roejhaVqa7

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

KF Senior Fellow @RuthBenGhiat speaks with retired federal judge Shira A. Scheindlin about judicial independence and the importance of civic education in upholding the rule of law and American democracy: https://t.co/wTX4h6J1ll

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

Impeachment isn't just for presidents.

KF Senior Fellow @DavidAFrench examines how Congress can hold other federal officials accountable for violations of public trust: https://t.co/yGXBbwOWl3

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

KF Senior Fellow @JudgeLuttig argues that Speaker Mike Johnson could try to prevent duly elected members of Congress from being seated after the midterms.

Watch the Jim Acosta Show to learn more about Luttig’s warning: https://t.co/jdSTca6XWj

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

“Ukraine is providing an example of freedom.”

In a new essay, KF Senior Fellow Timothy Snyder explains why he believes Ukraine’s resistance to Russia matters beyond the war itself: https://t.co/TAUgYYdYrj

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

Trying to understand what the latest Trump-Putin talks could mean for Ukraine? KF Senior Fellow William Kristol and Tom Joscelyn break it down: https://t.co/XXRVq7Yb8M

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

Why does everything cost more? KF Senior Fellow Stacey Abrams talks with former US Secretary of Labor Robert Reich on Assembly Required: https://t.co/2SMtVltYQB

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

Sometimes doing something in defense of democracy can be as simple as using your voice and making a choice. 🎶

Find your way to take part with #JinglesForDemocracy. #ArtInAction https://t.co/b3aQim5KX8

[Kettering Foundation @KetteringFdn]

Congratulations to the honorees of the Davton Branch NAACP's 75th Hall of Freedom
Awards. We're proud to support our KF Board Member Edwin C. Moses and celebrate those whose dedication is moving our community and our democracy forward.