About 71% of American voters say people like them have little to no influence on politics.

The number shifts depending on the country, but the sentiment is the same.

Across the democratic world, citizens have arrived at the same quiet conclusion: that the systems built to represent them no longer do. Not because of who won the last election — but because of something deeper and harder to name.

Our Civic Data is a newsletter about politics and public life — in America and beyond. Each issue pairs original data analysis with honest, clear-eyed writing on the decisions, systems, and forces that shape how people live under their governments.

Government data is public by law. Most of it is practically unreadable. We do the work of finding it, cleaning it, and making it mean something — because an informed citizenry isn't a civic ideal. It's the only thing that keeps democracy functional.

If you've made peace with the idea that you can't change anything, this newsletter is for you.

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