From Campaigning to Governing Effectively: The Progressive Governance Academy

The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent the views of the SNF Agora Institute or Johns Hopkins University.

This case study is about how three nonprofit civic organizations came together to equip elected leaders to govern more effectively in ways that felt true to their values and motivations for running for office. As part of that, the case study explores some practical demands of winning and using electoral power and of collaborative governance (aka co-governance) in which elected officials and others in government team up with civil society and other allies working outside of government. Beginning in 2016, the three organizations test the potential for impact by piloting training sessions and facilitating strategy conversations, mostly with newly elected local and state officials. Then they make the case to donors for an enduring program. After operating this Progressive Governance Academy for a few years, the partners see both strong demand for their work and also spotting new pressures and opportunities, and they gather to consider the next chapter: Should they build on their model or change it in fundamental ways? Regardless, in the context of an increasingly polarized and extremist political climate, with physical and other threats coming to elected officials, the partners wonder: How do we step up our game? What more do elected officials need that we can or cannot address effectively?

Learning Objectives

By the end of this case study, you should:

• Understand the distinctive challenges facing leaders in elected roles, especially newly elected state and local officials, as they try to govern consistent with their values and campaign commitments. The case foregrounds the important differences between campaigning and governing but also the parallels between them, for example as elected officials work to build or strengthen coalitions for change inside and outside of government. It also highlights how isolating the experience of serving in office can be, such as when former organizers and movement activists who run and win now have to confront daunting challenges and unfamiliar decision demands in their new roles.
• Understand what collaborative governance, between public officials and civic organizations and other community voices, looks like, especially to the “inside” (government) actors as they face tensions, tradeoffs, and uncertainty.
• Understand the kinds of strategic and tactical choices that face collaborative startup ventures, specifically programs meant to build capacity for more effectively pursuing social change.