Merriam-Webster may have dubbed “polarization” the 2024 Word of the Year, but we’re not getting hung up on it. Here’s what we’re taking into 2025, and what we hope gets left behind.

Do any of these things make your list? Here are some resources to help you decide:

• Read this Atlantic piece on third spaces.
• Check out our Genius Guides to get up to speed on how your government works.
• Understand extremism and what it means for civic life.
• Learn what goes into a civic assembly.
• Browse the Healthy Democracy Map.