In democratic countries, knowledge of how to combine is the mother of all other forms of knowledge; on its progress depends that of all the others. - Alexis De Tocqueville "Democracy in America"

The Problem:
In his landmark book Bowling Alone, sociologist Robert Putnam made a compelling case that civic participation and local community activity have been steadily declining in American society since the 1960's, and are at or near historical lows. This amounts to a massive depletion of what Putnam and other social scientists call social capital. Social capital is sort of a nebulous concept, but it boils down to a recognition of the value of social connections, and a measure of the ability of communities to debate, mobilize, and address their problems and opportunities. Without it, problems go unsolved, democratic institutions founder, and communities are endangered.

A Part of the Solution:
At Local Progress, we believe that we desperately need to replenish our social capital, and use it to reinvent a local, practical, participatory, and truly democratic politics. And we believe that the web can be a big piece of the puzzle. In the last two national elections, the web has proven itself to be a remarkable engine for fostering debate and exchange, raising funds, and marshaling volunteers on a state and national level. Now the time is ripe to take it to the local level, and apply these tools to the task of rebuilding a vibrant civic and community culture, and a revived and robust American democracy for the 21st Century.

However, we recognize that the web is a tool, not a cure-all. Like most tools, it won't do much good if people don't know about it, or don't know how to effectively use it. The digital divide and the civic decline are interrelated problems, and we are convinced that we must tackle the first as part of the process of remedying of the second.

That's where this organization comes in. We've used the web to help organize and expand small local community and political groups. We know that it can work. However, to achieve lasting results, it takes dedication, focus, and a willingness to both teach what the web can do, and how to do it. It also takes the time and patience to listen to the needs and concerns of communities, and to tailor the available tools and solutions to them.

Our Goals for Local Progress:
The Local Progress team is based in central Illinois. We plan to continue and grow our existing work on the ground with communities around the state and region, and to expand on it by sharing what we learn in the form of this website.

From our experiences so far, we suspect that there are many small activist, civic, and political groups and candidates who could make great use of the web to further their goals and build their organizations. However, many of them may not know where to start, and most lack the resources to hire professionals to guide them. The Local Progress website will aim to be an information and volunteering clearinghouse for groups and activists in this position. We will endeavor to unite web activists and professionals with the underserved local groups and communities who need their help the most.

To that end users will be encouraged to list their relevant skills and/or their needs in their profiles, and to actively exchange knowledge and aid based on those listings. Using forums, social networking, wikis, chat, and other web-based collaboration tools, we will provide a meeting place for the online and offline grassroots activist communities. We will also maintain and expand a community knowledge base which explains the various online mediums and tools, their possible uses for community and civic organizing and advocacy, and the innumerable cultural and technological nuances of the online world.

What You Can Do:
If you know CSS and HTML, a scripting language, Photoshop and graphic design, or the basics of setting up things like blogging software, mailing lists, wikis, and so on, we want your help. And your friends' help. And your friends' friends' help.

We plan to facilitate a wide range of commitment levels, from answering simple questions in the forums here, all the way to forming long-term working relationships with groups who want volunteer help building and maintaining a web presence. So, there will be something you can do no matter what amount of free time or resources you have to offer. Please sign up for an account, list your areas of expertise in your profile, and hang around to share your knowledge.

If you are a local activist who is interested in using the web to help your organization, or start a new one, please sign up for an account, list your needs in your profile, and start asking questions. Also, please spread the word to anyone else you know whom we might be able to help. We look forward to working together to share our knowledge and then take it to the streets and communities and rebuild a proud American civic culture and progressive movement. This is the first step, a small but necessary one, and with luck, hard work, and cooperation, we hope that it can grow into a significant and worthwhile part of the rebirth of American civic life.