What if the biggest barrier to civic participation isn’t apathy—but confusion?

That’s the insight communications expert Marjorie Clifton shared in my recent Democracy Does conversation. As the co-founder of March Matters, Clifton is working to close a civic knowledge gap that many Americans don’t even realize exists.

The idea behind March Matters is simple but powerful: make civic participation understandable. Clifton describes the initiative as a “communications toolkit in a box,” designed to help organizations explain elections—especially primary elections—in clear, accessible language. The program avoids partisanship entirely, focusing instead on helping people understand the basics: What is a primary? Why does it matter? And how do you participate?