A new think tank based in Lakewood Ranch aims to save democracy with the power of civic discourse.

The Saving Democracy Institute , headed by political scientist Jeffrey Orenstein , just launched as a national effort to bring academic discussions of democratic institutions into the marketplace of ideas. The nonpartisan effort aims to raise awareness of the nation’s foundational values and whether U.S. leaders are currently living up to them.

“Most people have no clue what democracy is,” Orenstein, the Institute’s managing director, said. “We want to discuss what it is and isn’t. It’s under crisis because there are people who are not pursuing it in the national government and in state and local government.”

Orenstein said he wants conversations to happen outside of private conferen

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