Op-Ed: We Can Strengthen Democracy By Championing Co-Governance

As the United States celebrated its 250th anniversary, millions questioned whether democracy can truly deliver on its promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. This isn’t an arbitrary question but one born of deep disappointment and unkept promises. Every day we wake up to renewed attacks on democracy, an undermining of the rule of law, and institutions that appear more fragile than ever. Americans are not only worried about their individual well-being; they’re concerned for the state of democracy. They’re also assessing their internal power to make change.  

For those who wonder what can be done to strengthen democracy and pass on to future generations a nation stronger than it is today, we offer co-governance as a key component of the answer.

Co-governance is the practice of communities and government sharing real decision-making power. It rejects the idea that policy or procedural changes alone will be enough to build the kind of civic trust a strong democracy needs. Instead, co-governance advances a fundamentally different theory by focusing on how democratic power is organized and exercised: through shared power that produces better, more sustainable solutions for all people, builds civic capacity across lines of difference, and ensures people most impacted by a problem are not left behind.

With co-governance, community members are not solely asked for feedback or input after decisions are made. They partner with government entities to define problems, set priorities, allocate resources, and establish systems of accountability.  

When rooted in racial justice, co-governance centers a systemic analysis of the problem and its racialized root causes and seeks to grow the leadership and power of people who are most harmed by structural racism and systems of inequity. 

Co-governance values the people at the heart of systems. It decenters institutions and opts for a participatory model between governing bodies and communities. This is important as institutions in the U.S. carry the imprint of the racial hierarchies present at their founding. Preserving democracy requires more than defending existing systems as they are; it requires reimagining and redesigning them so they work for everyone.  

The shared governing model assumes that no one entity knows best. The government is not some aloof entity endowed with the power to decide what people need, absent context. Its actions must be informed by community input and involvement. Communities, while proximate to pain, do not have all the knowledge they need to wholly own decision-making. Both benefit when in dialogue with each other.  

Co-governance is more than an ideal. It breaks down barriers between the people and the institutions that serve them. It combats authoritarianism, rebuilds civic trust, advances racial equity, and produces better outcomes for everyone. 

For instance, authoritarianism is not just a result of coups and strongmen. It is enabled by an environment that erodes the relationships, institutions, and shared commitments on which democratic societies rely. Co-governance is a direct antidote to this unraveling. By creating structured opportunities for communities to engage in civic solutioning, deepen political and systems knowledge, build durable and accountable organizations, and strengthen their commitment to mutuality, co-governance replenishes the social infrastructure that democracy depends on. 

Co-governance can also support trust-building. Millions of people, particularly those who have been historically excluded and harmed, have concluded that the government cannot and will not work for people like them. This belief system is reinforced when communities lack meaningful ways to share their perspectives and input on the issues that impact their lives. Repairing this kind of broken trust requires more than changed outcomes; it requires a change in the way we get to those outcomes. Co-governance offers a different pathway by honoring the social contract more fully. 

Finally, co-governance works practically, measurably, and durably. When communities are genuine partners in designing and implementing policy, the results are more responsive, effective, and resilient than those produced by top-down governance alone. Co-governance helps institutional leaders and public agencies develop stronger policies, make better budget choices, improve implementation, and course-correct when things don’t go as planned. 

On this nation’s 250th birthday, co-governance must be a foundational pillar of democracy’s future. We simply cannot afford to continue embracing top-down leadership and expecting different results. As we mark this milestone, we are clear that what got us here will not secure the kind of future that will leave subsequent generations freer and more powerful.  

It’s time we champion a vision of democracy as something we actively do, build, and govern together. We can begin with co-governance. 

Candace Moore is the Vice President of Place, Policy and Power at Race Forward. This piece is a part of the organization’s narrative work on co-governance.