WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pointing to a busy retirement next year. She and the University of California, Berkeley, are partnering to form a new nonpartisan academic institute they say will be dedicated to strengthening democracy.Pelosi, a Democrat who has represented San Francisco for nearly 40 years and is not seeking reelection, will also participate in the organization’s academics by co-teaching a course on Congress. The Nancy Pelosi Institute for Representative Democracy will launch in January.“I am honored to partner with this exceptional community of scholars and students so we can equip the next generation with the tools they need to strengthen our democratic institutions and forge a future that serves the public good,” Pelosi said.The university says the institute will be focused on four pillars: strengthening America’s democratic institutions; overcoming challenges to society, the economy and the planet; promoting human and civil rights; and ensuring political leadership that represents the full spectrum of perspectives and backgrounds.
Examples of the research that will be pursued include how to address climate change and wealth inequality and which electoral changes could be made to reduce voter polarization.
