A Detente over History?

By Bob Melville | August 12, 2021

A Shared Sense of our Past, a Shared Vision of our Future This is a commentary on the need for a shared sense of American History, first posted on February 15, 2021 in Between Hell and High Water. The author, Michael Koetting, writes a regular column, Between Hell and High Water, and is an advisor…

What Does the Flag Stand For?

By Bob Melville | July 8, 2021

The Unthinkable Risk of Turning Our Backs on Inclusive American Values This is a commentary on the meaning of our national flag, first posted on July 4, 2021 in Between Hell and High Water. The author, Michael Koetting, writes a regular column, Between Hell and High Water, and is an advisor to Civic Way. Michael…

How America Ends

By Bob Melville | February 27, 2020

The Enemy Within

By Bob Melville | December 27, 2019

Localism (Part 3)

By Bob Melville | December 12, 2019

Our Towns, A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America

By Bob Melville | September 30, 2019

The New Localism, How Cities can Thrive in the Age of Populism

By Bob Melville | September 28, 2019

The Democratic Party Still Doesn’t Get Grassroots Politics

By Bob Melville | November 29, 2018

The Democratic Party Still Doesn’t Get Grassroots Politics (1-29-18) Historic numbers of young women and men running for public office, both legislative and executive. Smart, idealistic and principled, they run to make a difference in their communities, often with minimal national resources. Without such support, or any guidance at all, one cannot help but wonder…

Our Day of Reckoning

By Bob Melville | October 19, 2018

Since 1968, has America made progress as a land of opportunity? Our future competitiveness will depend on people of color, but the American Dream remains out of reach for too many. Regardless of the source—the Census Bureau, Federal Reserve or Annie E. Casey Foundation—or the metric, the facts are clear. People of color face the…

What Millennial Mayors Are Doing for City Hall (1-31-18)

By Bob Melville | April 20, 2018