Common Ground.
Common Good.
The Citizens League is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that empowers people to engage in civic life and public policy to make Minnesota a better place to live and work for everyone.
Recent News
Introduction: A Backup Plan for Solo Seniors
By 2030, more than 1 in 5 Minnesotans will be age 65 or older. A significant portion will be people without traditional family support – “solos” – or people aging alone.
Policy and a Pint®: Making It Our Business
For over a decade, we have partnered with Minnesota Public Radio’s 89.3 The Current to engage people in important conversations about public policy and issues in the news. These conversations, usually held in the casual setting of a bar, restaurant, or theater, ...
A Coming-of-Age Story
As Minnesota’s “older adult” demographic multiplies, innovation is needed to address the opportunities and challenges Public dialogue around immigration rates, insurance costs, and educational trends too often fails to factor in the aging of America. According to the...
Trains, Politics, and Automobiles
"State lawmakers could save themselves time and trouble with the counsel of 21 Minnesotans brought together by the Citizens League to make sense of the state’s vexing disagreement over sustainable transit funding,” exclaimed the Pioneer Press’s editorial board in the...
Beyond Civility
Healthy disagreement is essential to our democracy, and it doesn't have to hurt By David Schimke, founding editor, Citizens League Voice I’ve been itching for an argument since I learned to talk. Just ask my parents. When I was in grade school, I spent countless hours...
A Website for the Ages: Calling Home
What does home mean to you? When we’re starting our careers and families, it’s a question we often answer unconsciously as we make in-the-moment life decisions. On the other side of middle age, though, the concept becomes more complex and tends to require more...
Current Work
Minnesota Legislative Exchange
The Minnesota Legislative Exchange is a first-in-the-nation effort to build trust and bipartisan relationships in state legislatures. As Minnesota’s leading nonpartisan nonprofit focused on civic engagement and public policy solutions, Citizens League is proud to lead this important effort, intentionally forging new relationships to bridge divides and govern our state effectively.
Capitol Pathways
With the long-term goal of making our government truly representative of our communities, the program opens access to the Minnesota Capitol to the next generation of leaders of color. Through this program, interns build relationships with established Capitol leaders, gain exposure to various kinds of careers in policy, get real-world experience in career fields they would like to learn more about and build a strong professional resume in the process.
Strengthening Public Service
Citizens League is embarking on a new project to dig deeper and explore the unique challenges and barriers to public service, with a particular emphasis on non-elected roles and people who make our state’s local governments work.
Events
Through our engagement with communities in Minnesota, we strive to help people understand that public policy happens everywhere, and everyone has a role in decision-making.
Our events are organized around these goals, inviting a panel of different viewpoints to discuss policy issues that affect Minnesotans. We cover such topics as mental health, aging, disruptive protests, and water quality. Those in attendance can expect ample opportunity to voice their perspectives, questions, and ideas as well.
MinnPost Festival
MinnPost Festival is a full day of in-person programming featuring national and local voices you already know, along with new ones that you’ll want to know. Experience insightful conversations and community that brings together the people and ideas shaping the future of Minnesota and beyond. Past guests include Laura Coates, Gov. Tim Walz, Keith Ellison, Samantha Bee, Sen. Tina Smith, David Rohde and more.