democracy

Actually to do democracy would demand, as she proposes, that philanthropy “better understand the American public’s full range of perspectives and what is fueling their dissatisfaction with how the system is working.”

In the wake of Warren Buffett ending his extraordinary philanthropic partnership with the Gates Foundation, revisiting questions raised after its initial announcement.

A compilation of interesting and insightful thinking from the last three of seven recorded discussions so far this year about grantmaking and giving.

As many are examining how AI-generated fortunes may reshape philanthropy, the enduring historical lesson of John D. Rockefeller for them should be more than simply his extraordinary private generosity. It should also include putting institutionalized, tax-incentivized giving in its proper place in America’s democratic order.

The American Enterprise Institute’s new SOURCE tool is a harbinger of lower information costs helpfully altering the relationship between philanthropy and its observers.

In the wake of his recent article “Think Tanks Have Defeated Democracy,” the economist and policy analyst talks to Michael E. Hartmann about populism and the role of tax-incentivized philanthropy in supporting think tanks, how best to consider reforming the nonprofit sector, and how artificial intelligence might radically reshape it.

With Michael E. Hartmann, the economist and policy analyst talks about his recent article “Think Tanks Have Defeated Democracy;” why the U.S. has so many think tanks; how that differs from other democracies; and what philanthropy, its own managerial elite, and the one it funds have done to civil society rightly understood and democracy in America.

A regular curation.

Virtue, decency, civil society, democracy, and subsidy.

The Brandeis University professor talks to Michael E. Hartmann about how so many think tanks have become partisan political organizations, including the role of their funding in the process.

The Northwestern Pritzker School of Law professor talks to Michael E. Hartmann about America as both a commercial republic and a philanthropic republic; the relationship between the civil society about which Alexis de Tocqueville wrote and the tax-incentivized nonprofit sector in its current form; the wealthy and artificial intelligence; and sensible regulation and who’s best positioned to formulate it.

The Northwestern Pritzker School of Law professor talks to Michael E. Hartmann about the “clerisy” and how to think about the relationship of the wealthy and their philanthropy to it.

The former director of special projects at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and current policy fellow at the Ash Center’s Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation talks with Michael E. Hartmann about the various trade-offs in the relationships with government of legacy foundations and the new institutional vehicles that bigger, trillionaire philanthropists likely will use in the coming years, along with the growing global role of American givers.

With Michael E. Hartmann, the former director of special projects at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and current policy fellow at the Ash Center’s Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation talks about his work and research interests, differences between the billionaire philanthropy of the past and the trillionaire philanthropy of the future, and whether the tensions of each with democracy will also be different.

Philanthropy is uniquely unsuited for involvement in American politics. Indeed, what it considers its political strengths turn out to be serious liabilities. Nothing demonstrates this better than its role in the 2024 presidential election.

Donors privileged over the democratic electorate.

The Substack writer talks to Michael E. Hartmann and Daniel P. Schmidt about his newsletter, Gnosticism, progressive managerialism, the Ford Foundation, philanthropy’s role in the ideological revolution, and what could perhaps be done about it.

A mid-year collection of interesting and insightful passages.

Labor journalist Hamilton Nolan’s new book on “the struggle for the soul of labor” takes progressive philanthropy to task for not prioritizing the promotion of America’s labor movement and makes an urgent plea for it to do more, and with more patience.

As tracked by Candid, of top 200 givers, 121 are left-of-center and 21 are right-of-center. All but two of top 20 are left-leaning.

And where to look for rebuilding self-governance.