Part 1 of this series provided an overview of President Trump’s economic policy platform for easy reference. In Part 2 of this series, we’ll share stories and best practices of Circles USA chapters working to hold local, state, and national elected officials accountable for fulfilling their economic promises to voters.
This series started out as a straightforward reference guide of the kind we always publish when the U.S. presidential administration changes. We seek to understand who is now in office, what they are promoting, and how we might come to find common ground together. Part 2, however, needs to go a bit deeper than our usual “hold our elected officials accountable to their economic promises to voters.” This is primarily because our current state of political tilt-a-whirl has fostered a level of chaos and division that runs contrary to CUSA’s core values of community-building, empathy, and focused effort to support the most vulnerable people in our country.
As I hold the vision for Circles USA at this moment, I feel compelled to offer a clear message of calm, connection, and care as we remain committed to bringing people together across the nation. This is the time to do what Circles does best: be the place where we come together as diverse individuals to support each other to thrive as a community. We must stay focused on our two goals: to come alongside those who are leaving poverty behind permanently and to remove the barriers that keep people in poverty. Regardless of gender, zip code, race, bank accounts, political beliefs, or how one prays, we must keep the conversation going and stay focused on upholding basic democratic processes that benefit the vast majority. To do this, keeping open lines of communication with representatives of both political parties is critical.
Whether we’re Black or White, Asian or Latino, Native or diaspora, from the city, the country, or the ‘burbs, we need the same things: to live authentically meaningful lives, to thrive as we work and play in communities where we feel we belong. We need to engage the phantom workforce: those for whom meaningful employment is a viable option but who, for a variety of reasons, are either unemployed or underemployed. Yet, despite these commonalities, a wealth of data tells us that economic and social opportunity is not distributed equally in America. The most powerful definition of poverty that I’ve ever heard from someone with lived experience is this: poverty is proof that the system was not made for me. It behooves us all to communicate these opportunity gaps to our elected officials, the people directly responsible for making sure systems serve the many and not just the few.
This raises the question: How does the system need to evolve so that all people—not just the ones recognized as fully human, fully “worthy” of citizenship by the nation’s founders centuries ago—have access to a 21st century American Dream? How might our communities across the nation tackle the real, contemporary issues that propagate poverty? The most important answer is that we do it together. Whether we do it imperfectly, uncomfortably, or unable to see further in the dark than a step or two ahead of us, matters little. We have to keep the conversations and connections that animate our democracy going. Sharing space equitably with people different from us is foundational to this process. As such, it’s a foundational principle for Circles USA and our partners.
At Circles, we know that systems change is people change, and people change is all about growing relationships over time. We get to know our community members deeply, see each other as individual human beings, and that’s where we find common ground and foster the connections that “build community to end poverty.” With this strength of understanding, we naturally come to community-driven solutions that benefit our neighbors and ourselves. We co-create thriving communities and thriving families where employers and employees win, community organizations flourish, and the barriers that keep people in poverty fall away. While elected officials may be defeated or replaced every two to four years, we and our neighbors are here to stay. So folks in office more than benefit from the constant presence of community members in deep, long-term relationship with one another—they need our collective knowledge to serve our basic needs.
Childcare, housing, transportation, a solid job, a good income with benefits, healthy food, medical care, and community connections. Why have these topics become so highly politicized, branded as the purview of one side of the aisle or the other? What environment is this creating for our children, who have struggled to survive poverty, a pandemic, and normalization of school shootings; and who are just, perhaps, beginning to imagine a future world for their dreams—only to experience a country where people are not allowed to be who they are or appeal to our elected leaders for the support every human deserves?
What I especially appreciate about Circles, which sustains sites in almost 80 communities across 27 states, is that our local chapters turn into lifeboats in times of local and national crisis. Circles is the safe place for people to come together, to stay connected even across profound difference, and to have the hard conversations that move us forward together.
No matter what is happening out in the world, Circles USA maintains our:
Nonpartisan stance, bringing diverse people together for community-driven solutions.
Community Building, creating a safe, inclusive space for meaningful connections.
Equanimity in Action, listening deeply, responding thoughtfully.
Mission-Driven Focus, serving with excellence, care, and commitment.
Collective Boundaries, honoring whole communities’ well-being and individuals’ self-care.
In line with these values, we recommend that all people get to know their representatives. And not just federal representatives. How about state, county, and city? Who are they, what are they about, what promises have they made, and how might that impact you and your family?
For example, you might be surprised how much the county commissioner impacts your life. A short list of their areas of oversight includes: roads and infrastructure; public safety like law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency services; taxes and budgeting how money gets spent on schools, libraries, and parks; land use and zoning which impacts property values, local business, and neighborhood growth; health and human services for vulnerable populations; water, public waste management, and sanitation; and—perhaps most crucially—elections and voting!
When I was a teacher sponsor for Youth and Government, a YMCA program for high school students to experience the process of government, we had T-shirts that said DEMOCRACY IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT. How many of us are arm-chair quarterbacks now, or only rooting for “our team” to the detriment of all others, including our own neighbors, co-workers, and friends? When politics is treated like a zero sum game rather than a collaboration, we all lose, beginning with our sense of basic humanity. When we see each other as individuals who deserve dignity and respect, access to infrastructure, gainful employment, and a healthy life, then we take our democracy more seriously and have the grace to solve problems instead of creating more.
In fact, this was the original meaning of the term “American Dream.” As Smithsonian Magazine wrote in 2018, it was coined “not [as] a dream of individual wealth,” but “a dream of equality, justice and democracy for the nation. The phrase was repurposed by each generation, until the Cold War, when it became an argument for a consumer capitalist version of democracy. Our ideas about the ‘American Dream’ froze in the 1950s.” Circles USA uplifts the original meaning, which values prosperity but does not leave any group behind in pursuit of it.
So the next question is: How can we connect with our leaders and representatives to help make this dream a reality? This is where Circles really shines! Our chapters across the nation invite policy makers and community leaders to serve dinner at their weekly meetings, connect with their constituents directly, and hold the space for deep listening and relationship building. Connecting decision makers with people who have lived experiences of poverty and discrimination is potent; not only for the lawmakers, but for community members who now feel seen and heard. We all win when we are calm, connected, and caring for each other over meals and meaningful conversation.
In 2025 and beyond, Circles USA encourages you to keep on reaching out, keep on learning, and keep on connecting with each other. Here are just a few ways to learn more about your policy makers:
Find your federal, state, and local officials by your address HERE
Prepare to meet your elected officials: All In Together: Women Leading Change offers a detailed guide to effectively scheduling and prepping for meetings with elected officials.
Connect with your Circles regional community of practice and Regional Coach to learn more about policy makers and best practices for civic engagement in your area!
